Nitrate
City of Aubrey
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 | 0.0487 ppm | 4 | 4 | 0.0402 ppm - 0.0633 ppm |
| 2019 | 0.0633 ppm | 4 | 4 | 0.0396 ppm - 0.127 ppm |
| 2020 | 0.0441 ppm | 4 | 4 | 0.0359 ppm - 0.0546 ppm |
| 2021 | 0.0427 ppm | 4 | 4 | 0.0371 ppm - 0.0468 ppm |
| 2022 | 0.0436 ppm | 4 | 4 | 0.0371 ppm - 0.0505 ppm |
| 2023 | 0.0421 ppm | 5 | 5 | 0.0323 ppm - 0.0515 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2018-03-15 | Q1810837017 | 0.0427 ppm |
| 2018-03-15 | Q1810837018 | 0.0402 ppm |
| 2018-03-15 | Q1810837019 | 0.0484 ppm |
| 2018-03-15 | Q1810837016 | 0.0633 ppm |
| 2019-05-15 | Q1926233010 | 0.127 ppm |
| 2019-05-15 | Q1926233011 | 0.0447 ppm |
| 2019-05-15 | Q1926233012 | 0.0420 ppm |
| 2019-05-15 | Q1926233013 | 0.0396 ppm |
| 2020-03-26 | Q2012850005 | 0.0359 ppm |
| 2020-10-05 | Q2038828014 | 0.0491 ppm |
| 2020-10-05 | Q2038828015 | 0.0366 ppm |
| 2020-10-05 | Q2038828026 | 0.0546 ppm |
| 2021-07-01 | Q2117370007 | 0.0459 ppm |
| 2021-07-01 | Q2117370010 | 0.0468 ppm |
| 2021-07-01 | Q2117370009 | 0.0409 ppm |
| 2021-07-01 | Q2117370008 | 0.0371 ppm |
| 2022-10-13 | Q2231065001 | 0.0482 ppm |
| 2022-10-13 | Q2231065011 | 0.0505 ppm |
| 2022-10-13 | Q2231065012 | 0.0385 ppm |
| 2022-10-13 | Q2231065013 | 0.0371 ppm |
| 2023-04-11 | Q2313300004 | 0.0373 ppm |
| 2023-09-26 | Q2341271014 | 0.0507 ppm |
| 2023-09-26 | Q2341271015 | 0.0385 ppm |
| 2023-09-26 | Q2341271016 | 0.0323 ppm |
| 2023-09-26 | Q2341271033 | 0.0515 ppm |