Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Nitrate and nitrite

City of Jamestown

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.

 

7

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

1

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
20180.0600 ppm110.0600 ppm
20190.0700 ppm110.0700 ppm
20200.1000 ppm110.1000 ppm
20210.0610 ppm110.0610 ppm
20220.419 ppm220.0860 ppm - 0.751 ppm
20230.0940 ppm110.0940 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
2018-01-1718-S730.0600 ppm
2019-02-1219-S1920.0700 ppm
2020-03-023613130.1000 ppm
2021-03-223778010.0610 ppm
2022-05-093950530.751 ppm
2022-06-273969720.0860 ppm
2023-03-214082750.0940 ppm