Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Nitrate and nitrite

City of Bismarck

Nitrate and nitrite enter water from fertilizer runoff, septic tanks and urban runoff. These contaminants can cause oxygen deprivation for infants and increase the risk of cancer. Nitrite is significantly more toxic than nitrate. Click here to read more about nitrate.

 

6

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018ND10ND
20190.0340 ppm110.0340 ppm
20200.0360 ppm110.0360 ppm
20210.0330 ppm110.0330 ppm
2022ND10ND
20230.0310 ppm110.0310 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

ppm = parts per million

All test results

Date Lab ID Result
2018-05-1618-S752ND
2019-05-0819-S5250.0340 ppm
2020-05-123640610.0360 ppm
2021-04-283792010.0330 ppm
2022-06-22396690ND
2023-04-114091590.0310 ppm