Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Nitrate

Sunnyhill Water Association

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.

 

18

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
20210.0390 ppm31ND - 0.117 ppm
20220.0383 ppm31ND - 0.115 ppm
20230.0390 ppm31ND - 0.117 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
2018-03-14180315-001NIND
2018-03-14180315-002NIND
2018-11-19181120-001NIND
2019-05-08190509-004NIND
2019-05-08190509-005NIND
2019-05-08190509-006NIND
2020-04-13200414-031NIND
2020-04-13200414-032NIND
2020-04-13200414-033NIND
2021-04-13NI-210414-0440.117 ppm
2021-04-13NI-210414-046ND
2021-04-13NI-210414-045ND
2022-03-23NI-220324-0040.115 ppm
2022-03-23NI-220324-005ND
2022-03-23NI-220324-006ND
2023-03-07NI-230308-027ND
2023-03-07NI-230308-0280.117 ppm
2023-03-07NI-230308-029ND