Nitrate
City of Rusk
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 | 0.110 ppm | 5 | 5 | 0.0650 ppm - 0.147 ppm |
| 2019 | 0.0748 ppm | 5 | 5 | 0.0616 ppm - 0.116 ppm |
| 2020 | 0.0800 ppm | 5 | 5 | 0.0640 ppm - 0.116 ppm |
| 2021 | 0.0993 ppm | 5 | 5 | 0.0596 ppm - 0.164 ppm |
| 2022 | 0.0799 ppm | 5 | 5 | 0.0494 ppm - 0.145 ppm |
| 2023 | 0.0705 ppm | 5 | 5 | 0.0381 ppm - 0.105 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2018-03-21 | Q1811395005 | 0.109 ppm |
| 2018-03-21 | Q1811395009 | 0.147 ppm |
| 2018-03-21 | Q1811395013 | 0.142 ppm |
| 2018-03-21 | Q1811395017 | 0.0877 ppm |
| 2018-03-21 | Q1811395004 | 0.0650 ppm |
| 2019-10-09 | Q1972207013 | 0.0685 ppm |
| 2019-10-09 | Q1972207014 | 0.0637 ppm |
| 2019-10-09 | Q1972207015 | 0.0642 ppm |
| 2019-10-09 | Q1972207016 | 0.0616 ppm |
| 2019-10-09 | Q1972207017 | 0.116 ppm |
| 2020-10-01 | Q2038626029 | 0.0640 ppm |
| 2020-10-01 | Q2038626030 | 0.0681 ppm |
| 2020-10-01 | Q2038626031 | 0.0705 ppm |
| 2020-10-01 | Q2038626032 | 0.116 ppm |
| 2020-11-19 | Q2046158003 | 0.0814 ppm |
| 2021-03-25 | Q2107779001 | 0.164 ppm |
| 2021-11-02 | Q2130691013 | 0.0658 ppm |
| 2021-11-02 | Q2130691014 | 0.120 ppm |
| 2021-11-02 | Q2130691015 | 0.0596 ppm |
| 2021-11-02 | Q2130691016 | 0.0869 ppm |
| 2022-10-24 | Q2231983005 | 0.0789 ppm |
| 2022-10-24 | Q2231983006 | 0.0657 ppm |
| 2022-10-24 | Q2231983007 | 0.0604 ppm |
| 2022-10-24 | Q2231983008 | 0.0494 ppm |
| 2022-10-24 | Q2231983009 | 0.145 ppm |
| 2023-06-28 | Q2325031015 | 0.0381 ppm |
| 2023-06-28 | Q2325031016 | 0.105 ppm |
| 2023-06-28 | Q2325031017 | 0.0745 ppm |
| 2023-06-28 | Q2325031018 | 0.0682 ppm |
| 2023-09-11 | Q2338755004 | 0.0669 ppm |