Nitrate
City of Pilot Point
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 | 0.0854 ppm | 6 | 6 | 0.0176 ppm - 0.299 ppm |
| 2019 | 0.0488 ppm | 7 | 7 | 0.0307 ppm - 0.0615 ppm |
| 2020 | 0.0464 ppm | 7 | 7 | 0.0337 ppm - 0.0555 ppm |
| 2021 | 0.0542 ppm | 7 | 7 | 0.0321 ppm - 0.0802 ppm |
| 2022 | 0.0597 ppm | 7 | 7 | 0.0337 ppm - 0.126 ppm |
| 2023 | 0.0461 ppm | 7 | 7 | 0.0244 ppm - 0.0648 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 | Q1810838019 | 0.0580 ppm |
| 2018-03-15 | Q1810838020 | 0.0527 ppm |
| 2018-03-15 | Q1810838021 | 0.0525 ppm |
| 2018-03-15 | Q1810838022 | 0.0325 ppm |
| 2018-03-15 | Q1810838023 | 0.299 ppm |
| 2018-03-15 | Q1810838018 | 0.0176 ppm |
| 2019-04-02 | Q1913162004 | 0.0307 ppm |
| 2019-04-02 | Q1913162005 | 0.0344 ppm |
| 2019-04-02 | Q1913162012 | 0.0615 ppm |
| 2019-04-02 | Q1913162019 | 0.0588 ppm |
| 2019-04-02 | Q1913162023 | 0.0546 ppm |
| 2019-05-30 | Q1930236014 | 0.0498 ppm |
| 2019-05-30 | Q1930236005 | 0.0521 ppm |
| 2020-01-16 | Q2001732024 | 0.0337 ppm |
| 2020-01-16 | Q2001732025 | 0.0449 ppm |
| 2020-01-16 | Q2001732026 | 0.0508 ppm |
| 2020-01-16 | Q2001732044 | 0.0433 ppm |
| 2020-01-16 | Q2001732045 | 0.0421 ppm |
| 2020-05-11 | Q2018213007 | 0.0555 ppm |
| 2020-05-11 | Q2018213012 | 0.0545 ppm |
| 2021-11-09 | Q2131343008 | 0.0427 ppm |
| 2021-11-09 | Q2131343014 | 0.0557 ppm |
| 2021-11-09 | Q2131343013 | 0.0802 ppm |
| 2021-11-09 | Q2131343012 | 0.0466 ppm |
| 2021-11-09 | Q2131343010 | 0.0321 ppm |
| 2021-11-09 | Q2131343009 | 0.0535 ppm |
| 2021-11-09 | Q2131343011 | 0.0687 ppm |
| 2022-06-21 | Q2217164002 | 0.126 ppm |
| 2022-06-21 | Q2217164013 | 0.0624 ppm |
| 2022-10-13 | Q2231068020 | 0.0493 ppm |
| 2022-10-13 | Q2231068021 | 0.0662 ppm |
| 2022-10-13 | Q2231068019 | 0.0337 ppm |
| 2022-10-13 | Q2231068018 | 0.0341 ppm |
| 2022-10-13 | Q2231068001 | 0.0462 ppm |
| 2023-08-16 | Q2334321003 | 0.0436 ppm |
| 2023-08-16 | Q2334321013 | 0.0648 ppm |
| 2023-08-16 | Q2334321022 | 0.0303 ppm |
| 2023-11-06 | Q2347478015 | 0.0244 ppm |
| 2023-11-06 | Q2347478016 | 0.0626 ppm |
| 2023-11-06 | Q2347478026 | 0.0465 ppm |
| 2023-11-06 | Q2347803002 | 0.0505 ppm |