Nitrate and nitrite

Elyria Water Department

Nitrate and nitrite enter water from fertilizer runoff, septic tanks and urban runoff. These contaminants can cause oxygen deprivation for infants and increase the risk of cancer. Nitrite is significantly more toxic than nitrate. 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	0.317 ppm	12	11	ND - 0.770 ppm
2015	0.301 ppm	12	11	ND - 0.630 ppm
2016	0.423 ppm	12	10	ND - 0.980 ppm
2017	0.468 ppm	12	9	ND - 1.11 ppm
2018	0.585 ppm	12	12	0.120 ppm - 1.16 ppm
2019	0.602 ppm	10	8	ND - 1.17 ppm

ppm = parts per million

State and national drinking water standards and health guidelines

EWG Health Guideline 0.14 ppm

The health guideline of 0.14 parts per million, or ppm, for nitrate and nitrite is based on the equivalent health guideline for nitrate, as defined in a peer-reviewed scientific study by EWG. This guideline represents a one-in-one-million annual cancer risk level.

EPA Maximum Contaminant
Level (MCL) 10 ppm

ppm = parts per million

All test results

Date	Lab ID	Result
2014-01-23	14-10946-02	0.340 ppm
2014-02-13	14-11776-02	0.280 ppm
2014-03-13	14-13054-02	0.270 ppm
2014-04-10	14-14332-02A	0.770 ppm
2014-05-12	14-15722-02	0.740 ppm
2014-06-23	14-18081-02	0.440 ppm
2014-07-17	14-19390-02	0.320 ppm
2014-08-14	14-20878-02	0.190 ppm
2014-09-11	14-22469-02	0.130 ppm
2014-10-09	14-23961-03	ND
2014-11-13	14-25626-02	0.180 ppm
2014-12-11	14-26930-03	0.140 ppm
2015-01-15	15-10594-02	0.320 ppm
2015-02-12	15-11761-02	0.440 ppm
2015-03-12	15-13049-02	0.480 ppm
2015-04-09	15-14408-02	0.590 ppm
2015-05-14	15-16212-02A	0.630 ppm
2015-06-04	15-17426-03	ND
2015-07-16	15-19922-03	0.370 ppm
2015-08-20	15-22020-02	0.170 ppm
2015-09-10	15-23209-02	0.130 ppm
2015-10-08	15-24754-03	0.140 ppm
2015-11-12	15-26718-02	0.170 ppm
2015-12-10	15-28108-03	0.170 ppm
2016-01-14	16-10693-02	0.310 ppm
2016-02-11	16-12064-02	0.350 ppm
2016-03-10	16-13540-02	0.690 ppm
2016-04-14	16-15341-03	0.980 ppm
2016-05-12	16-16885-02	0.920 ppm
2016-06-09	16-18528-03	0.850 ppm
2016-07-14	16-20875-03	0.500 ppm
2016-08-18	16-23468-02	0.220 ppm
2016-09-08	16-24816-02	ND
2016-10-13	16-27346-02	ND
2016-11-10	16-29082-02	0.120 ppm
2016-12-08	16-30641-02	0.140 ppm
2017-01-26	17-11511-01	0.520 ppm
2017-02-09	17-12337-02	0.760 ppm
2017-03-09	17-14189-02	0.920 ppm
2017-04-13	17-16398-02	1.11 ppm
2017-05-02	17-17479-02	0.830 ppm
2017-06-08	17-20173-01	0.760 ppm
2017-07-13	17-22762-02	0.370 ppm
2017-08-24	17-26249-02	ND
2017-09-14	17-27710-02	ND
2017-10-12	17-29827-02	ND
2017-11-02	17-31234-10	0.140 ppm
2017-12-14	17-34026-03	0.200 ppm
2018-01-18	18-11175-01	0.580 ppm
2018-02-28	M18-13609-02	1.03 ppm
2018-03-08	18-14236-02	0.760 ppm
2018-04-12	18-16731-04	1.000 ppm
2018-05-03	18-18240-01	1.16 ppm
2018-06-07	18-21119-02	0.570 ppm
2018-07-05	18-23521-04	0.610 ppm
2018-08-16	18-27457-03	0.190 ppm
2018-09-13	18-29831-02A	0.120 ppm
2018-10-18	18-32956-04	0.140 ppm
2018-11-08	18-34532-02	0.260 ppm
2018-12-13	18-37074-03	0.600 ppm
2019-01-17	19-11316-04	0.850 ppm
2019-02-07	19-12600-02	0.630 ppm
2019-03-07	19-14568-01	0.690 ppm
2019-04-04	19-16698-03	1.05 ppm
2019-05-16	19-19943-02	1.17 ppm
2019-06-20	19-22865-02	0.740 ppm
2019-07-11	19-24789-03	0.630 ppm
2019-08-08	19-27179-02	0.260 ppm
2019-09-05	19-29718-01	ND
2019-10-03	19-32234-01	ND