Nitrate
Cincinnati Public Water System
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | N/A | 0 | 0 | N/A |
| 2014 | 0.895 ppm | 13 | 13 | 0.650 ppm - 1.43 ppm |
| 2015 | 0.872 ppm | 17 | 17 | 0.380 ppm - 1.55 ppm |
| 2016 | 0.798 ppm | 12 | 12 | 0.530 ppm - 1.51 ppm |
| 2017 | 0.901 ppm | 18 | 18 | 0.550 ppm - 1.39 ppm |
| 2018 | 0.789 ppm | 20 | 20 | 0.400 ppm - 1.24 ppm |
| 2019 | 0.869 ppm | 11 | 11 | 0.590 ppm - 1.30 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2014-01-07 | 14-10191-02 | 0.860 ppm |
| 2014-01-22 | 14-10966-03 | 1.39 ppm |
| 2014-02-04 | 14-11384-02 | 1.02 ppm |
| 2014-03-04 | 14-12493-02 | 0.880 ppm |
| 2014-04-01 | 14-13834-04 | 0.940 ppm |
| 2014-05-06 | 14-15388-02 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2014-06-03 | 14-16801-02 | 0.940 ppm |
| 2014-07-08 | 14-18879-01 | 1.43 ppm |
| 2014-08-14 | 14-20944-01 | 0.770 ppm |
| 2014-09-25 | 10262223 | 0.650 ppm |
| 2014-10-09 | 1026118 | 0.660 ppm |
| 2014-11-04 | 10263596 | 0.670 ppm |
| 2014-12-02 | 10264265 | 0.720 ppm |
| 2015-01-21 | COMPMTP2015-002 | 0.967 ppm |
| 2015-01-28 | COMPCMB2015-002 | 1.55 ppm |
| 2015-02-03 | 15-11380-02 | 0.850 ppm |
| 2015-03-03 | 15-12502-07 | 0.900 ppm |
| 2015-04-03 | 10268031 | 0.946 ppm |
| 2015-05-05 | 10268326 | 0.490 ppm |
| 2015-06-02 | 10269444 | 0.380 ppm |
| 2015-06-10 | 10269921 | 0.500 ppm |
| 2015-06-10 | 10269922 | 1.45 ppm |
| 2015-06-14 | 10270096 | 1.44 ppm |
| 2015-06-15 | 10270095 | 0.900 ppm |
| 2015-07-07 | 10270340 | 1.34 ppm |
| 2015-08-04 | 10271446 | 0.638 ppm |
| 2015-09-01 | 10272570 | 0.550 ppm |
| 2015-10-20 | 10274372 | 0.540 ppm |
| 2015-11-03 | 10274523 | 0.770 ppm |
| 2015-12-03 | 10275329 | 0.620 ppm |
| 2016-01-27 | 16-11227-02 | 1.51 ppm |
| 2016-02-04 | 10277429 | 0.921 ppm |
| 2016-03-07 | 16-13263-05 | 1.04 ppm |
| 2016-04-13 | 16-15284-01 | 0.800 ppm |
| 2016-05-18 | 10282445 | 0.690 ppm |
| 2016-06-06 | 10282815 | 0.600 ppm |
| 2016-07-14 | 10284667 | 0.790 ppm |
| 2016-08-18 | 16-23492-09 | 0.530 ppm |
| 2016-09-15 | 16-25419-01 | 0.630 ppm |
| 2016-10-12 | 16-27315-01 | 0.590 ppm |
| 2016-11-09 | 16-29034-08 | 0.780 ppm |
| 2016-12-07 | 16-30559-02 | 0.690 ppm |
| 2017-01-11 | 17-10716-05 | 1.06 ppm |
| 2017-02-02 | 17-11892-01 | 0.940 ppm |
| 2017-02-02 | 17-11893-05 | 1.08 ppm |
| 2017-03-01 | 17-13583-05 | 1.07 ppm |
| 2017-04-05 | 17-15824-03 | 0.800 ppm |
| 2017-05-10 | 17-18197-04 | 0.820 ppm |
| 2017-06-07 | 17-20032-08 | 0.880 ppm |
| 2017-07-05 | 17-22203-07 | 1.33 ppm |
| 2017-07-12 | 17-22693-03 | 1.39 ppm |
| 2017-08-03 | 10305274 | 0.905 ppm |
| 2017-09-06 | 17-27070-01 | 0.550 ppm |
| 2017-09-26 | 17-28584-02 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2017-10-04 | 10307469 | 0.591 ppm |
| 2017-10-12 | 10307839 | 0.683 ppm |
| 2017-11-07 | 10309807 | 0.690 ppm |
| 2017-11-20 | 10310433 | 0.810 ppm |
| 2017-12-08 | 10311797 | 1.01 ppm |
| 2017-12-18 | 10312147 | 0.910 ppm |
| 2018-01-03 | 10412663 | 0.940 ppm |
| 2018-01-22 | 10414415 | 0.971 ppm |
| 2018-02-07 | 18-12300-04A | 1.24 ppm |
| 2018-02-07 | 10415379 | 1.02 ppm |
| 2018-02-14 | 10415740 | 0.762 ppm |
| 2018-03-07 | 10417284 | 0.720 ppm |
| 2018-03-20 | 10417748 | 0.780 ppm |
| 2018-04-04 | 10318047 | 0.430 ppm |
| 2018-04-19 | 18-17259-01 | 0.710 ppm |
| 2018-05-02 | 18-18113-01 | 0.670 ppm |
| 2018-05-23 | 18-19897-01 | 0.400 ppm |
| 2018-06-20 | 18-22831-02 | 0.970 ppm |
| 2018-06-21 | 10322689 | 1.04 ppm |
| 2018-07-11 | 18-24414-02 | 0.790 ppm |
| 2018-07-25 | 18-25581-02 | 0.690 ppm |
| 2018-08-03 | 18-26694-01 | 0.580 ppm |
| 2018-09-05 | 18-29223-02 | 0.610 ppm |
| 2018-10-03 | 18-32425-01 | 0.800 ppm |
| 2018-11-07 | 18-34580-01 | 0.780 ppm |
| 2018-12-05 | 18-36372-01 | 0.870 ppm |
| 2019-01-09 | 19-10755-01 | 0.860 ppm |
| 2019-01-30 | 19-12095-06 | 1.08 ppm |
| 2019-02-05 | 19-12529-01 | 1.000 ppm |
| 2019-03-06 | 19-14486-01 | 0.830 ppm |
| 2019-04-03 | 19-16633-01 | 0.860 ppm |
| 2019-05-01 | 5212996001 | 0.770 ppm |
| 2019-06-05 | 5215333001 | 0.590 ppm |
| 2019-07-03 | 5217664001 | 1.30 ppm |
| 2019-08-07 | 5220457001 | 0.780 ppm |
| 2019-09-04 | 5222632001 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2019-10-02 | 5224499001 | 0.790 ppm |