Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Nitrate

Southwestern Pennsylvania Water Authority

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.

 

8

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

5

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
20180.500 ppm110.500 ppm
20190.600 ppm110.600 ppm
20200.370 ppm110.370 ppm
20210.240 ppm220.1000 ppm - 0.380 ppm
20220.165 ppm21ND - 0.330 ppm
2023ND10ND

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
2018-09-1918I1783-040.500 ppm
2019-09-2519I2786-010.600 ppm
2020-07-1522714296.000.370 ppm
2021-06-1624745897.000.380 ppm
2021-09-0125323031.000.1000 ppm
2022-04-0626566806.000.330 ppm
2022-08-1827351668.00ND
2023-12-0630343648.00ND