Nitrate
Horseheads Village
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.
Samples
Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)
Samples exceeding
health guidelines
Testing results - average by year
| Year | Average result | Samples taken | Detections | Range of results |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 0.950 ppm | 3 | 3 | 0.460 ppm - 1.20 ppm |
| 2015 | 0.692 ppm | 4 | 4 | 0.187 ppm - 1.000 ppm |
| 2016 | 0.606 ppm | 4 | 4 | 0.307 ppm - 0.875 ppm |
| 2017 | 0.585 ppm | 4 | 4 | 0.291 ppm - 0.933 ppm |
| 2018 | 0.645 ppm | 4 | 4 | 0.420 ppm - 1.09 ppm |
| 2019 | 0.758 ppm | 4 | 4 | 0.357 ppm - 1.71 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2014-09-24 | S4I2405-03NO3 | 1.19 ppm |
| 2014-09-24 | S4I2405-02NO3 | 1.20 ppm |
| 2014-09-24 | S4I2405-01NO3 | 0.460 ppm |
| 2015-10-25 | S5J1745-04NO3 | 0.187 ppm |
| 2015-10-25 | S5J1745-01NO3 | 1.000 ppm |
| 2015-10-25 | S5J1745-03NO3 | 0.800 ppm |
| 2015-10-25 | S5J1745-02NO3 | 0.780 ppm |
| 2016-11-21 | J6K1060-01NO3CL | 0.875 ppm |
| 2016-11-21 | J6K1060-03NO3CL | 0.706 ppm |
| 2016-11-21 | J6K1060-04NO3CL | 0.307 ppm |
| 2016-11-21 | J6K1060-02NO3CL | 0.534 ppm |
| 2017-11-08 | J7K0820-07NO3 | 0.933 ppm |
| 2017-11-08 | J7K0820-04NO3 | 0.291 ppm |
| 2017-11-08 | J7K0820-01NO3 | 0.728 ppm |
| 2017-11-08 | J7K0820-03NO3 | 0.386 ppm |
| 2018-11-13 | S8K0216-01PRINO3 | 0.530 ppm |
| 2018-11-13 | S8K0220-01PRINO3 | 0.420 ppm |
| 2018-11-13 | S8K0217-01PRINO3 | 0.540 ppm |
| 2018-11-14 | S8K0219-01NO3CL | 1.09 ppm |
| 2019-11-13 | S9J0451-01NO3 | 0.357 ppm |
| 2019-11-13 | S9J0450-01NO3 | 1.71 ppm |
| 2019-11-13 | S9J0449-01NO3CL | 0.397 ppm |
| 2019-11-13 | S9J0448-01NO3CL | 0.569 ppm |