Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Nitrate

Fairmont

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.

 

24

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

22

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
20182.87 ppm440.760 ppm - 4.00 ppm
20192.28 ppm441.10 ppm - 4.10 ppm
20201.39 ppm440.1000 ppm - 2.60 ppm
20210.603 ppm440.0800 ppm - 1.30 ppm
20220.603 ppm440.260 ppm - 0.930 ppm
20231.21 ppm440.230 ppm - 1.80 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
2018-01-2418A0916-010.760 ppm
2018-05-0818E0737-014.00 ppm
2018-08-1518H1465-013.20 ppm
2018-10-2218J1219-013.50 ppm
2019-01-2919B0092-014.10 ppm
2019-04-1819D1272-012.20 ppm
2019-07-3119H0083-011.70 ppm
2019-11-1819K0755-011.10 ppm
2020-01-2720A1091-012.50 ppm
2020-04-1420D0475-012.60 ppm
2020-08-3120I0090-010.340 ppm
2020-10-2020J1063-010.1000 ppm
2021-02-2321B1298-010.400 ppm
2021-04-2021D1160-010.0800 ppm
2021-08-0421H0413-011.30 ppm
2021-10-2721J1579-010.630 ppm
2022-01-0522A0107-010.800 ppm
2022-05-0322E0205-010.260 ppm
2022-07-1322G0860-010.930 ppm
2022-10-0522J0197-010.420 ppm
2023-02-0723B0524-010.230 ppm
2023-04-1123D0660-011.80 ppm
2023-08-0123H0197-011.60 ppm
2023-11-2823K1289-011.20 ppm