Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Nitrate

Pennsylvania American Water Company Warren

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.

 

20

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

20

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
20180.370 ppm110.370 ppm
20190.380 ppm330.360 ppm - 0.400 ppm
20200.353 ppm440.300 ppm - 0.440 ppm
20210.338 ppm440.320 ppm - 0.360 ppm
20220.370 ppm440.340 ppm - 0.410 ppm
20230.368 ppm440.350 ppm - 0.380 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
2018-08-06406640010.370 ppm
2019-07-11457750010.400 ppm
2019-07-22460253010.380 ppm
2019-07-30460440010.360 ppm
2020-08-1322934584.000.330 ppm
2020-08-1922934702.000.340 ppm
2020-09-0223123599.000.440 ppm
2020-09-0923123597.000.300 ppm
2021-08-1125157702.000.360 ppm
2021-08-1825157686.000.340 ppm
2021-09-0925345540.000.330 ppm
2021-09-1625345538.000.320 ppm
2022-08-1627376353.000.410 ppm
2022-08-2427376355.000.370 ppm
2022-09-0827579900.000.360 ppm
2022-09-1427579897.000.340 ppm
2023-08-0829636944.000.370 ppm
2023-08-1529636946.000.350 ppm
2023-09-0529827598.000.370 ppm
2023-09-1229827599.000.380 ppm