Nitrate

City of Clute

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.

MORE ABOUT THIS CONTAMINANT

Samples

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

Year	Average result	Samples taken	Detections	Range of results
2014	0.257 ppm	3	1	ND - 0.770 ppm
2015	0.450 ppm	2	2	0.170 ppm - 0.730 ppm
2016	0.167 ppm	3	2	ND - 0.410 ppm
2017	0.108 ppm	5	1	ND - 0.540 ppm
2018	0.335 ppm	4	2	ND - 0.870 ppm
2019	0.0800 ppm	5	2	ND - 0.260 ppm

ppm = parts per million

State and national drinking water standards and health guidelines

EWG Health Guideline 0.14 ppm

The EWG Health Guideline of 0.14 ppm for nitrate was defined by EWG . This health guideline protects against cancer and harm to fetal growth and development.

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
2014-04-10	AC50060	ND
2014-07-30	AC61460	0.770 ppm
2014-10-02	AC68696	ND
2015-01-16	AC76592	0.730 ppm
2015-04-06	AC87302	0.170 ppm
2016-02-02	AD21346	0.0900 ppm
2016-02-02	AD21344	0.410 ppm
2016-04-07	AD32191	ND
2017-03-21	AD75893	ND
2017-03-21	AD75895	0.540 ppm
2017-09-20	AD97005	ND
2017-09-20	AD97004	ND
2017-09-20	AD96996	ND
2018-01-08	AE07977	0.870 ppm
2018-01-08	AE07976	ND
2018-01-08	AE07975	ND
2018-01-08	AE07974	0.470 ppm
2019-01-09	AE49141	0.260 ppm
2019-01-09	AE49104	ND
2019-01-09	AE49122	ND
2019-01-09	AE49123	0.140 ppm
2019-01-09	AE49121	ND