Menu

EWG's Tap Water Database — 2021 UPDATE

Donate

Nitrite

Ely Municipal Water Department

Nitrite, closely related to the fertilizer chemical nitrate, comes from urban runoff and from fertilizer applied to agricultural lands to pollute drinking water. Nitrite is significantly more toxic than nitrate. Excessive nitrite in water can cause oxygen deprivation in infants and increase the risk of cancer.

 

22

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2013N/A00N/A
2014ND10ND
2015ND70ND
2016ND80ND
2017ND10ND
2018ND30ND
2019ND20ND

ppm = parts per million

State and national drinking water standards and health guidelines

EPA Maximum Contaminant
Level (MCL) 1 ppm

The legal limit for nitrite, established in 1991, was based on the rate of conversion of ingested nitrate into nitrite in adults. This limit may not fully protect against the risk of cancer due to nitrite exposure.

ppm = parts per million

All test results

Date Lab ID Result
2014-12-231412702-002ND
2015-03-111503401-004ND
2015-03-111503401-005ND
2015-08-061508181-004ND
2015-08-061508181-005ND
2015-11-051511172-003ND
2015-11-051511172-002ND
2015-11-051511172-001ND
2016-09-081609254-006ND
2016-09-081609254-004ND
2016-09-081609254-002ND
2016-09-081609254-003ND
2016-09-081609254-007ND
2016-11-021611102-001ND
2016-11-021611102-002ND
2016-11-021611102-003ND
2017-09-141709382-007ND
2018-11-0818110223-002ND
2018-11-0818110223-005ND
2018-11-0818110223-007ND
2019-11-1419110404-002ND
2019-11-1419110404-003ND