Nitrate
Mountain View Correctional Facility
Nitrate, a fertilizer chemical, frequently contaminates drinking water due to agricultural and urban runoff, and discharges from municipal wastewater treatment plants and septic tanks. Excessive nitrate in water can cause oxygen deprivation in infants and increase the risk of cancer. Click here to read more about nitrate.
Samples
Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)
Samples exceeding
health guidelines
Testing results - average by year
| Year | Average result | Samples taken | Detections | Range of results |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 0.397 ppm | 3 | 3 | 0.220 ppm - 0.620 ppm |
| 2019 | 0.440 ppm | 4 | 4 | 0.1000 ppm - 0.870 ppm |
| 2020 | 0.473 ppm | 3 | 3 | 0.0800 ppm - 0.920 ppm |
| 2021 | 0.680 ppm | 6 | 6 | 0.410 ppm - 1.09 ppm |
| 2022 | 0.738 ppm | 4 | 4 | 0.600 ppm - 0.810 ppm |
| 2023 | 0.665 ppm | 4 | 4 | 0.260 ppm - 0.820 ppm |
ppm = parts per million
State, National, and Health Guidelines for Drinking Water
EWG Health Guideline: 0.14 ppm
The EWG health guideline of 0.14 parts per million, or ppm, for nitrate and nitrite is based on the equivalent health guideline for nitrate, as defined in a peer-reviewed scientific study by EWG. This guideline represents a one-in-one-million annual cancer risk level.
EPA Maximum Contaminant
Level (MCL): 10 ppm
The legal limit for nitrate, established in 1962, was developed to protect infants from acute methemoglobinemia, a life-threatening disorder of oxygen transport in the body. This limit does not fully protect against the risk of cancer and harm to the developing fetus.
ppm = parts per million
All test results
| Date | Lab ID | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 2018-03-14 | 1803799-01 | 0.220 ppm |
| 2018-03-14 | 1803798-01 | 0.350 ppm |
| 2018-10-16 | 1820858-01 | 0.620 ppm |
| 2019-05-07 | 1907489-01 | 0.870 ppm |
| 2019-05-07 | 1903911-01 | 0.500 ppm |
| 2019-05-07 | 1903912-01 | 0.1000 ppm |
| 2019-06-17 | 1910265-01 | 0.290 ppm |
| 2020-04-08 | 2004114-01 | 0.420 ppm |
| 2020-09-24 | 2017452-01 | 0.0800 ppm |
| 2020-12-15 | 2017569-01 | 0.920 ppm |
| 2021-01-13 | 2022766-01 | 0.860 ppm |
| 2021-02-09 | SO0772-1 | 0.410 ppm |
| 2021-02-22 | 2102-02384-001 | 1.09 ppm |
| 2021-03-16 | 2102691-01 | 0.560 ppm |
| 2021-10-18 | 2116857-01 | 0.410 ppm |
| 2021-12-14 | 2120562-01 | 0.750 ppm |
| 2022-02-10 | 2122429-01 | 0.810 ppm |
| 2022-05-17 | 2204780-01 | 0.790 ppm |
| 2022-07-26 | 2211405-01 | 0.750 ppm |
| 2022-10-14 | 2216868-01 | 0.600 ppm |
| 2023-03-07 | 2221149-01 | 0.260 ppm |
| 2023-05-10 | 2305644-01 | 0.820 ppm |
| 2023-08-16 | 2312811-01 | 0.810 ppm |
| 2023-11-28 | 2319120-01 | 0.770 ppm |