Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Nitrate

Dean Dale Special Utility District

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.

 

47

Samples

1

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

39

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
20187.25 ppm883.57 ppm - 10.2 ppm
20190.523 ppm880.372 ppm - 0.626 ppm
20200.179 ppm770.126 ppm - 0.226 ppm
20210.181 ppm880.0326 ppm - 0.604 ppm
20220.178 ppm880.0416 ppm - 0.391 ppm
20230.240 ppm880.144 ppm - 0.363 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
2018-02-28Q18084450059.21 ppm
2018-02-28Q180844500210.2 ppm
2018-05-09Q18191940038.39 ppm
2018-05-09Q18191940018.12 ppm
2018-08-23Q18340010016.39 ppm
2018-08-23Q18340010025.99 ppm
2018-11-13Q18457210026.14 ppm
2018-11-13Q18457210043.57 ppm
2019-01-29Q19044400020.561 ppm
2019-01-29Q19044400070.553 ppm
2019-05-16Q19265630010.619 ppm
2019-05-16Q19265630020.626 ppm
2019-08-20Q19573810020.372 ppm
2019-08-20Q19573810010.408 ppm
2019-11-21Q19777880010.575 ppm
2019-11-21Q19777880020.472 ppm
2020-03-03Q20079780040.226 ppm
2020-03-03Q20079780100.221 ppm
2020-06-09Q20232200010.156 ppm
2020-09-22Q20375640010.184 ppm
2020-09-22Q20375640020.126 ppm
2020-11-30Q20471890030.171 ppm
2020-11-30Q20471890040.170 ppm
2021-03-10Q21063770010.0354 ppm
2021-03-10Q21063770020.0326 ppm
2021-06-15Q21156010030.0611 ppm
2021-06-15Q21156010040.0543 ppm
2021-09-15Q21253220010.0600 ppm
2021-09-15Q21253220020.450 ppm
2021-11-02Q21307400010.152 ppm
2021-11-02Q21307400020.604 ppm
2022-01-20Q22020940050.149 ppm
2022-01-20Q22020940060.148 ppm
2022-04-12Q22112060020.0457 ppm
2022-04-12Q22112060030.0416 ppm
2022-07-12Q22194780010.176 ppm
2022-07-12Q22194780040.161 ppm
2022-10-05Q22301070020.309 ppm
2022-10-05Q22301070030.391 ppm
2023-02-13Q23055000010.176 ppm
2023-02-13Q23055000040.144 ppm
2023-05-10Q23179640010.292 ppm
2023-05-10Q23179640020.278 ppm
2023-08-29Q23373520010.175 ppm
2023-08-29Q23373520040.176 ppm
2023-10-31Q23465890010.363 ppm
2023-10-31Q23465890020.312 ppm