Nitrate
First U D of Hawkins Company
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 | 0.978 ppm | 6 | 6 | 0.621 ppm - 2.28 ppm |
| 2019 | 0.966 ppm | 6 | 6 | 0.700 ppm - 1.85 ppm |
| 2020 | 0.923 ppm | 5 | 5 | 0.597 ppm - 1.87 ppm |
| 2021 | 1.08 ppm | 2 | 2 | 0.669 ppm - 1.50 ppm |
| 2022 | 0.850 ppm | 2 | 2 | 0.519 ppm - 1.18 ppm |
| 2023 | 0.698 ppm | 2 | 2 | 0.697 ppm - 0.699 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 | Result |
|---|---|
| 2018-01-17 | 0.621 ppm |
| 2018-02-14 | 0.956 ppm |
| 2018-02-14 | 2.28 ppm |
| 2018-04-11 | 0.659 ppm |
| 2018-07-11 | 0.662 ppm |
| 2018-10-10 | 0.687 ppm |
| 2019-01-16 | 0.944 ppm |
| 2019-02-19 | 1.85 ppm |
| 2019-02-19 | 0.802 ppm |
| 2019-04-22 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2019-07-17 | 0.724 ppm |
| 2019-11-18 | 0.777 ppm |
| 2020-01-20 | 1.87 ppm |
| 2020-01-20 | 0.847 ppm |
| 2020-05-18 | 0.597 ppm |
| 2020-07-20 | 0.625 ppm |
| 2020-09-15 | 0.675 ppm |
| 2021-03-17 | 1.50 ppm |
| 2021-03-17 | 0.669 ppm |
| 2022-04-13 | 1.18 ppm |
| 2022-04-13 | 0.519 ppm |
| 2023-02-14 | 0.697 ppm |
| 2023-02-14 | 0.699 ppm |