Nitrate
Klamath Falls 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.
Samples
Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)
Samples exceeding
health guidelines
Testing results - average by year
| Year | Average result | Samples taken | Detections | Range of results |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 0.298 ppm | 7 | 5 | ND - 0.779 ppm |
| 2019 | 0.259 ppm | 7 | 4 | ND - 0.646 ppm |
| 2020 | 0.436 ppm | 7 | 6 | ND - 1.25 ppm |
| 2021 | 0.258 ppm | 6 | 6 | 0.0290 ppm - 0.852 ppm |
| 2022 | 0.688 ppm | 6 | 4 | ND - 2.14 ppm |
| 2023 | 0.754 ppm | 6 | 4 | ND - 2.51 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
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2018-07-25 | N18291-I | ND |
| 2018-07-25 | N18292-I | 0.468 ppm |
| 2018-07-25 | N18293-I | 0.508 ppm |
| 2018-07-25 | N18294-I | 0.233 ppm |
| 2018-07-25 | N18295-I | ND |
| 2018-07-25 | N18296-I | 0.779 ppm |
| 2018-07-25 | N18290-I | 0.1000 ppm |
| 2019-07-10 | N19-220-I | 0.439 ppm |
| 2019-07-10 | N19-223-I | 0.353 ppm |
| 2019-07-10 | N19-225-I | ND |
| 2019-07-10 | 1907047901A-I | 0.377 ppm |
| 2019-07-10 | N19-224-I | 0.646 ppm |
| 2019-07-10 | N19-222-I | ND |
| 2019-07-10 | N19-221-I | ND |
| 2020-07-29 | N20260-I | 0.176 ppm |
| 2020-07-29 | N20263-I | 1.25 ppm |
| 2020-07-29 | N20259-I | 0.776 ppm |
| 2020-07-29 | N20264-I | 0.122 ppm |
| 2020-07-29 | N20261-I | 0.299 ppm |
| 2020-07-29 | N20262-I | ND |
| 2020-07-29 | N20265-I | 0.431 ppm |
| 2021-07-28 | N21302-I | 0.0290 ppm |
| 2021-07-28 | N21304-I | 0.852 ppm |
| 2021-07-28 | N21303-I | 0.260 ppm |
| 2021-07-28 | N21306-I | 0.271 ppm |
| 2021-07-28 | N21305-I | 0.0460 ppm |
| 2021-07-28 | N21307-I | 0.0920 ppm |
| 2022-08-16 | 22080802-01-I | 0.282 ppm |
| 2022-08-16 | 22080799-01B-I | ND |
| 2022-08-16 | 22080803-01B-I | 0.816 ppm |
| 2022-08-16 | 22080801-01B-I | 0.889 ppm |
| 2022-08-16 | 22080809-01-I | 2.14 ppm |
| 2022-08-16 | 22080806-01B-I | ND |
| 2023-08-09 | 23080560-02A-I | 0.298 ppm |
| 2023-08-09 | 23080560-04A-I | 2.51 ppm |
| 2023-08-09 | 23080560-03A-I | ND |
| 2023-08-09 | 23080560-05A-I | 0.785 ppm |
| 2023-08-09 | 23080560-01A-I | ND |
| 2023-08-09 | 23080560-06A-I | 0.930 ppm |