Menu

EWG's Tap Water Database — 2021 UPDATE

Donate

Nitrate

Cape Fear Public Utility Authority - New Hanover County

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.

MORE ABOUT THIS CONTAMINANT

 

25

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2014ND40ND
20150.0185 ppm41ND - 0.0740 ppm
2016ND40ND
2017ND40ND
2018ND40ND
2019ND50ND

ppm = parts per million

State and national drinking water standards and health guidelines

EWG Health Guideline 0.14 ppm

The EWG Health Guideline of 0.14 ppm for nitrate was defined by EWG . This health guideline protects against cancer and harm to fetal growth and development.

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
2014-01-1592186628001ND
2014-07-1092208895001N+NND
2014-10-2292222587001N+NND
2014-11-1392225627001N+NND
2015-01-080.0740 ppm
2015-07-09ND
2015-10-29ND
2015-11-10ND
2016-01-143386522ND
2016-07-193497078ND
2016-10-183567519ND
2016-11-103584226ND
2017-01-173622459ND
2017-07-133732110ND
2017-10-183802587ND
2017-11-073816508ND
2018-01-243857872 ND
2018-07-1292391896001N+N ND
2018-08-0292394443001N+N ND
2018-11-064112500 ND
2019-01-024163327 ND
2019-01-024163328 ND
2019-01-024163332 ND
2019-09-124418945 ND
2019-11-054476607 ND