Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Nitrate and nitrite

Vallecitos Mutual Domestic Water Consumers Association

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
20190.0500 ppm110.0500 ppm
2020ND10ND
20210.0700 ppm110.0700 ppm
2022ND10ND
2023ND10ND

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
2018-08-072018022264ND
2019-03-2620190078320.0500 ppm
2020-04-282020036598ND
2021-04-2720211075370.0700 ppm
2022-09-202209C26-003ND
2023-08-232308D69-003ND