Nitrate
Mustang Valley Water Supply Corporation
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 | 0.0621 ppm | 5 | 5 | 0.0251 ppm - 0.167 ppm |
| 2019 | 0.0467 ppm | 5 | 5 | 0.0299 ppm - 0.0556 ppm |
| 2020 | 0.0380 ppm | 5 | 5 | 0.0288 ppm - 0.0491 ppm |
| 2021 | 0.0340 ppm | 6 | 6 | 0.0240 ppm - 0.0554 ppm |
| 2022 | 0.0136 ppm | 5 | 2 | ND - 0.0558 ppm |
| 2023 | 0.0812 ppm | 5 | 5 | 0.0373 ppm - 0.241 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2018-02-20 | Q1806881001 | 0.167 ppm |
| 2018-11-28 | Q1848373001 | 0.0398 ppm |
| 2018-11-28 | Q1848373014 | 0.0251 ppm |
| 2018-11-28 | Q1848373015 | 0.0351 ppm |
| 2018-11-28 | Q1848373016 | 0.0434 ppm |
| 2019-03-13 | Q1910654004 | 0.0556 ppm |
| 2019-03-13 | Q1910654008 | 0.0433 ppm |
| 2019-03-13 | Q1910654012 | 0.0508 ppm |
| 2019-03-13 | Q1910654016 | 0.0299 ppm |
| 2019-09-11 | Q1964031006 | 0.0540 ppm |
| 2020-08-26 | Q2034243016 | 0.0491 ppm |
| 2020-08-26 | Q2034243018 | 0.0381 ppm |
| 2020-08-26 | Q2034243024 | 0.0335 ppm |
| 2020-08-26 | Q2034243034 | 0.0288 ppm |
| 2020-08-26 | Q2034243037 | 0.0404 ppm |
| 2021-07-28 | Q2119759016 | 0.0241 ppm |
| 2021-07-28 | Q2119759023 | 0.0328 ppm |
| 2021-07-28 | Q2119759020 | 0.0324 ppm |
| 2021-07-28 | Q2119759019 | 0.0351 ppm |
| 2021-07-28 | Q2119759018 | 0.0554 ppm |
| 2021-07-28 | Q2119759017 | 0.0240 ppm |
| 2022-10-12 | Q2230979008 | ND |
| 2022-10-12 | Q2230979009 | ND |
| 2022-10-12 | Q2230979010 | ND |
| 2022-10-12 | Q2230979011 | 0.0124 ppm |
| 2022-10-12 | Q2230979012 | 0.0558 ppm |
| 2023-07-24 | Q2329212013 | 0.0373 ppm |
| 2023-07-24 | Q2329212014 | 0.0377 ppm |
| 2023-10-31 | Q2346536022 | 0.0513 ppm |
| 2023-10-31 | Q2346536023 | 0.241 ppm |
| 2023-10-31 | Q2346536024 | 0.0386 ppm |