Nitrate
Hohenwald Water System
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 | 0.574 ppm | 3 | 3 | 0.337 ppm - 0.882 ppm |
| 2019 | 0.541 ppm | 3 | 3 | 0.281 ppm - 0.835 ppm |
| 2020 | 0.514 ppm | 3 | 3 | 0.348 ppm - 0.717 ppm |
| 2021 | 0.487 ppm | 3 | 3 | 0.437 ppm - 0.534 ppm |
| 2022 | 0.603 ppm | 3 | 3 | 0.543 ppm - 0.635 ppm |
| 2023 | 0.466 ppm | 3 | 3 | 0.400 ppm - 0.503 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 |
|---|---|
| 2018-06-26 | 0.882 ppm |
| 2018-06-26 | 0.502 ppm |
| 2018-06-26 | 0.337 ppm |
| 2019-07-10 | 0.281 ppm |
| 2019-07-10 | 0.835 ppm |
| 2019-07-10 | 0.506 ppm |
| 2020-07-09 | 0.476 ppm |
| 2020-07-09 | 0.717 ppm |
| 2020-07-09 | 0.348 ppm |
| 2021-08-12 | 0.490 ppm |
| 2021-08-12 | 0.534 ppm |
| 2021-08-12 | 0.437 ppm |
| 2022-08-26 | 0.543 ppm |
| 2022-08-26 | 0.631 ppm |
| 2022-08-26 | 0.635 ppm |
| 2023-08-08 | 0.400 ppm |
| 2023-08-08 | 0.503 ppm |
| 2023-08-08 | 0.496 ppm |