Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Nitrite

Maine Water Company Kezar Falls Division

Nitrite, closely related to the fertilizer chemical nitrate, comes from urban runoff and from fertilizer applied to agricultural lands to pollute drinking water. Nitrite is significantly more toxic than nitrate. Excessive nitrite in water can cause oxygen deprivation in infants and increase the risk of cancer.

 

11

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018ND30ND
2019ND30ND
2020ND30ND
2021ND10ND
2022ND10ND
2023N/A00N/A

ppm = parts per million

State, National, and Health Guidelines for Drinking Water

EPA Maximum Contaminant
Level (MCL): 1 ppm

The legal limit for nitrite, established in 1991, was based on the rate of conversion of ingested nitrate into nitrite in adults. This limit may not fully protect against the risk of cancer due to nitrite exposure.

ppm = parts per million

All test results

Date Lab ID Result
2018-11-021811-00182-003ND
2018-11-021811-00182-001ND
2018-11-021811-00182-002ND
2019-04-021904-00259-001ND
2019-10-281910-03525-003ND
2019-10-281910-03525-002ND
2020-05-052005-00403-001ND
2020-05-052005-00400-001ND
2020-05-052005-00397-001ND
2021-01-132101-01385-001ND
2022-08-022208-00422-001ND