Nitrate

Mount Vernon Water Department

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	0.187 ppm	2	2	0.180 ppm - 0.193 ppm
2015	0.214 ppm	2	2	0.206 ppm - 0.221 ppm
2016	0.128 ppm	2	2	0.126 ppm - 0.129 ppm
2017	0.124 ppm	2	2	0.123 ppm - 0.124 ppm
2018	0.1000 ppm	2	2	0.0990 ppm - 0.101 ppm
2019	0.177 ppm	1	1	0.176 ppm - 0.177 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
2014-05-05	14-4974 N	0.180 ppm
2014-05-22	14-4975 N	0.193 ppm
2015-05-05	15-4383 N	0.221 ppm
2015-05-05	15-4384 N	0.206 ppm
2016-02-03	16-1176 N	0.129 ppm
2016-02-03	16-1175 N	0.126 ppm
2017-03-07	17-2264-NIT	0.124 ppm
2017-03-07	17-2265-NIT	0.123 ppm
2018-05-15	18-5019-NIT	0.101 ppm
2018-05-15	18-5018-NIT	0.0990 ppm
2019-05-19		0.177 ppm*

* Sample result is taken from the system's CCR report.