Nitrate
Lake County West Water Subdistrict
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 | 0.579 ppm | 12 | 12 | 0.400 ppm - 0.890 ppm |
| 2015 | 0.818 ppm | 12 | 12 | 0.340 ppm - 1.68 ppm |
| 2016 | 0.544 ppm | 12 | 12 | 0.330 ppm - 0.900 ppm |
| 2017 | 0.440 ppm | 13 | 12 | ND - 0.950 ppm |
| 2018 | 0.420 ppm | 12 | 12 | 0.130 ppm - 0.920 ppm |
| 2019 | 0.399 ppm | 10 | 10 | 0.110 ppm - 0.710 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2014-01-24 | 115385 | 0.450 ppm |
| 2014-02-21 | 115757 | 0.400 ppm |
| 2014-03-21 | 11627 | 0.520 ppm |
| 2014-04-14 | 116457 | 0.890 ppm |
| 2014-05-23 | 116973 | 0.680 ppm |
| 2014-06-26 | 22602 | 0.560 ppm |
| 2014-07-28 | 117840 | 0.490 ppm |
| 2014-08-27 | 118236 | 0.570 ppm |
| 2014-09-30 | 118697 | 0.550 ppm |
| 2014-10-17 | 118922 | 0.490 ppm |
| 2014-11-14 | 119296 | 0.660 ppm |
| 2014-12-19 | 119764 | 0.690 ppm |
| 2015-01-21 | 120203 | 0.660 ppm |
| 2015-02-24 | 120647 | 0.710 ppm |
| 2015-03-25 | 121034 | 0.790 ppm |
| 2015-04-30 | 121513 | 1.28 ppm |
| 2015-05-27 | 121866 | 1.68 ppm |
| 2015-06-24 | 122239 | 1.05 ppm |
| 2015-07-30 | 122724 | 0.890 ppm |
| 2015-08-27 | 123115 | 0.710 ppm |
| 2015-09-23 | 123509 | 0.340 ppm |
| 2015-10-25 | 123936 | 0.450 ppm |
| 2015-11-21 | 124291 | 0.450 ppm |
| 2015-12-29 | 124813 | 0.800 ppm |
| 2016-01-29 | 125211 | 0.460 ppm |
| 2016-02-26 | 125603 | 0.500 ppm |
| 2016-03-25 | 125978 | 0.900 ppm |
| 2016-04-28 | 126442 | 0.750 ppm |
| 2016-05-26 | 126808 | 0.870 ppm |
| 2016-06-27 | 127273 | 0.670 ppm |
| 2016-07-26 | 127720 | 0.520 ppm |
| 2016-08-18 | 128064 | 0.410 ppm |
| 2016-09-28 | 128726 | 0.350 ppm |
| 2016-10-28 | 129185 | 0.330 ppm |
| 2016-11-29 | 129667 | 0.350 ppm |
| 2016-12-16 | 129914 | 0.420 ppm |
| 2017-01-18 | 130386 | 0.420 ppm |
| 2017-02-16 | 130815 | 0.630 ppm |
| 2017-03-22 | 131307 | 0.950 ppm |
| 2017-04-28 | 131819 | 0.950 ppm |
| 2017-05-24 | 37656 | 0.630 ppm |
| 2017-06-13 | 17-20519-04 | 0.620 ppm |
| 2017-06-13 | M17-20519-04 | 0.620 ppm |
| 2017-07-11 | 17-22703-04 | 0.320 ppm |
| 2017-08-09 | 17-25034-02 | 0.130 ppm |
| 2017-09-06 | 17-27060-03 | 0.170 ppm |
| 2017-10-12 | 17-29884-06 | 0.140 ppm |
| 2017-11-13 | 17-31944-06 | ND |
| 2017-12-13 | 17-33947-05 | 0.140 ppm |
| 2018-01-10 | 18-10711-05A | 0.220 ppm |
| 2018-02-13 | 18-12615-06 | 0.350 ppm |
| 2018-03-13 | 18-14555-05 | 0.530 ppm |
| 2018-04-11 | 18-16665-05 | 0.920 ppm |
| 2018-05-09 | 18-18769-06 | 0.720 ppm |
| 2018-06-12 | 18-21584-03 | 0.800 ppm |
| 2018-07-11 | 18-24183-03 | 0.450 ppm |
| 2018-08-08 | 18-26753-06 | 0.330 ppm |
| 2018-09-11 | 18-29550-05 | 0.160 ppm |
| 2018-10-09 | 18-32114-05 | 0.200 ppm |
| 2018-11-13 | 18-35071-01 | 0.130 ppm |
| 2018-12-11 | 18-36858-05 | 0.230 ppm |
| 2019-01-09 | 19-10760-05 | 0.260 ppm |
| 2019-02-13 | M19-13054-06 | 0.540 ppm |
| 2019-03-12 | 19-14883-03 | 0.440 ppm |
| 2019-04-09 | 19-17032-04A | 0.660 ppm |
| 2019-05-14 | 19-19684-06 | 0.710 ppm |
| 2019-06-12 | 19-22162-03 | 0.550 ppm |
| 2019-07-09 | 19-24440-03 | 0.420 ppm |
| 2019-08-13 | M19-27642-05 | 0.170 ppm |
| 2019-09-11 | 19-30314-03 | 0.130 ppm |
| 2019-10-09 | 19-32830-03 | 0.110 ppm |