Nitrate

Jamestown BPU

Nitrate, a fertilizer chemical, frequently contaminates drinking water due to agricultural and urban runoff, and discharges from municipal wastewater treatment plants and septic tanks. Excessive nitrate in water can cause oxygen deprivation in infants and increase the risk of cancer. Click here to read more about nitrate.

MORE ABOUT THIS CONTAMINANT

Samples

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

Year	Average result	Samples taken	Detections	Range of results
2013	N/A	0	0	N/A
2014	0.873 ppm	2	2	0.266 ppm - 1.48 ppm
2015	0.286 ppm	2	2	0.110 ppm - 0.462 ppm
2016	0.875 ppm	2	2	0.469 ppm - 1.28 ppm
2017	0.950 ppm	2	2	0.419 ppm - 1.48 ppm
2018	0.989 ppm	2	2	0.508 ppm - 1.47 ppm
2019	0.390 ppm	2	2	0.390 ppm

ppm = parts per million

State and national drinking water standards and health guidelines

EWG Health Guideline 0.14 ppm

The EWG Health Guideline of 0.14 ppm for nitrate was defined by EWG . This health guideline protects against cancer and harm to fetal growth and development.

EPA Maximum Contaminant
Level (MCL) 10 ppm

The legal limit for nitrate, established in 1962, was developed to protect infants from acute methemoglobinemia, a life-threatening disorder of oxygen transport in the body. This limit does not fully protect against the risk of cancer and harm to the developing fetus.

ppm = parts per million

All test results

Date	Lab ID	Result
2014-11-13	NO3 CLAYPOND 201	1.48 ppm
2014-11-13	NO3 2014 CASSA.	0.266 ppm
2015-08-06	NO3 CLAY POND PS	0.462 ppm
2015-08-06	NO3 CASSADAGA PS	0.110 ppm
2016-05-04	NO3 CLAYPOND 201	1.28 ppm
2016-05-04	NO3 CASSADAGA WE	0.469 ppm
2017-08-23	NO3 CLAY POND WE	1.48 ppm
2017-08-23	NO3 CASSADAGA WE	0.419 ppm
2018-08-08	NO3 18 JTOWN CLA	1.47 ppm
2018-08-08	NO3 18 JTOWN CAS	0.508 ppm
2019-08-07	NO3 19 JTOWN CAS	0.390 ppm
2019-08-07	NO3 19 JTOWN CLA	0.390 ppm