Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Nitrate and nitrite

Metropolitan Utilities District

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.

 

54

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

54

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
20182.12 ppm12120.307 ppm - 5.15 ppm
20192.08 ppm12120.244 ppm - 5.30 ppm
20201.86 ppm12120.277 ppm - 4.94 ppm
20211.28 ppm660.311 ppm - 2.56 ppm
20221.02 ppm330.723 ppm - 1.34 ppm
20231.12 ppm990.311 ppm - 2.78 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
2018-01-165313981.04 ppm
2018-03-265313960.636 ppm
2018-03-265313972.22 ppm
2018-05-075452962.04 ppm
2018-05-075452955.15 ppm
2018-06-055452920.307 ppm
2018-06-055452901.97 ppm
2018-06-055452942.12 ppm
2018-08-075628580.743 ppm
2018-08-075628575.12 ppm
2018-08-285628562.22 ppm
2018-11-135788581.82 ppm
2019-02-045914571.82 ppm
2019-02-275914562.41 ppm
2019-02-275914550.535 ppm
2019-04-236042434.99 ppm
2019-04-236042441.95 ppm
2019-06-106035232.17 ppm
2019-06-106035240.244 ppm
2019-06-106035221.86 ppm
2019-07-226194961.33 ppm
2019-07-226194955.30 ppm
2019-09-106194941.18 ppm
2019-10-296406371.14 ppm
2020-01-216491571.64 ppm
2020-03-046491561.95 ppm
2020-03-046491550.383 ppm
2020-05-206675061.29 ppm
2020-05-206675054.70 ppm
2020-06-016679791.85 ppm
2020-06-016679800.277 ppm
2020-06-016679782.33 ppm
2020-08-036817820.731 ppm
2020-08-036817814.94 ppm
2020-08-246837931.79 ppm
2020-11-187018550.420 ppm
2021-02-237158860.603 ppm
2021-02-237158851.62 ppm
2021-02-237158870.776 ppm
2021-08-047538990.311 ppm
2021-08-047538941.81 ppm
2021-08-047538832.56 ppm
2022-03-217803860.995 ppm
2022-03-217803851.34 ppm
2022-03-217803840.723 ppm
2023-01-178448010.311 ppm
2023-01-178448021.23 ppm
2023-01-178448032.78 ppm
2023-03-028431541.01 ppm
2023-03-028431531.63 ppm
2023-03-028431550.465 ppm
2023-06-088575130.546 ppm
2023-06-088575120.599 ppm
2023-08-248748101.47 ppm