Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Nitrate and nitrite

Cherokee Co. RWD # 16 (lakewood)

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.

 

7

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

3

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018ND20ND
20191.73 ppm111.73 ppm
20201.92 ppm111.92 ppm
2021ND10ND
2022ND10ND
20230.973 ppm110.973 ppm

ppm = parts per million

State, National, and Health Guidelines for Drinking Water

EWG Health Guideline: 0.14 ppm

The EWG 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
2018-06-191694282ND
2018-06-281696690ND
2019-04-1117748431.73 ppm
2020-01-3018592771.92 ppm
2021-01-181955615ND
2022-01-242059366ND
2023-01-0321577180.973 ppm