Nitrate
City of Sanger
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 | 0.0768 ppm | 7 | 6 | ND - 0.408 ppm |
| 2019 | 0.0614 ppm | 7 | 4 | ND - 0.319 ppm |
| 2020 | 0.0949 ppm | 7 | 7 | 0.0155 ppm - 0.535 ppm |
| 2021 | 0.0812 ppm | 7 | 4 | ND - 0.484 ppm |
| 2022 | 0.134 ppm | 6 | 6 | 0.0102 ppm - 0.682 ppm |
| 2023 | 0.132 ppm | 7 | 5 | ND - 0.783 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2018-01-10 | Q1801330017 | 0.0406 ppm |
| 2018-01-10 | Q1801330018 | 0.0126 ppm |
| 2018-01-10 | Q1801330019 | 0.0203 ppm |
| 2018-01-31 | Q1804070004 | ND |
| 2018-04-10 | Q1814606008 | 0.0281 ppm |
| 2018-04-10 | Q1814606019 | 0.0282 ppm |
| 2018-07-18 | Q1828859001 | 0.408 ppm |
| 2019-01-09 | Q1901596020 | 0.0514 ppm |
| 2019-01-09 | Q1901596023 | ND |
| 2019-01-09 | Q1901596022 | 0.0339 ppm |
| 2019-01-09 | Q1901596021 | ND |
| 2019-01-09 | Q1901596019 | ND |
| 2019-01-09 | Q1901596001 | 0.0255 ppm |
| 2019-10-15 | Q1972687001 | 0.319 ppm |
| 2020-05-11 | Q2018214006 | 0.0201 ppm |
| 2020-08-04 | Q2030358005 | 0.0246 ppm |
| 2020-10-06 | Q2039051020 | 0.0173 ppm |
| 2020-10-06 | Q2039051019 | 0.0227 ppm |
| 2020-10-06 | Q2039051017 | 0.0292 ppm |
| 2020-10-06 | Q2039051006 | 0.535 ppm |
| 2020-10-06 | Q2039051018 | 0.0155 ppm |
| 2021-01-20 | Q2101423018 | 0.0149 ppm |
| 2021-01-20 | Q2101423019 | 0.0303 ppm |
| 2021-01-20 | Q2101423020 | ND |
| 2021-11-08 | Q2131197010 | ND |
| 2021-11-08 | Q2131197011 | 0.0389 ppm |
| 2021-11-08 | Q2131197012 | 0.484 ppm |
| 2021-11-08 | Q2131197015 | ND |
| 2022-02-08 | Q2204312005 | 0.0293 ppm |
| 2022-11-29 | Q2235417001 | 0.0368 ppm |
| 2022-11-29 | Q2235417004 | 0.0145 ppm |
| 2022-11-29 | Q2235417003 | 0.682 ppm |
| 2022-11-29 | Q2235417002 | 0.0102 ppm |
| 2022-12-13 | Q2237308004 | 0.0334 ppm |
| 2023-02-28 | Q2307983001 | ND |
| 2023-08-14 | Q2333741001 | 0.783 ppm |
| 2023-11-15 | Q2349051021 | 0.0763 ppm |
| 2023-11-15 | Q2349051022 | 0.0253 ppm |
| 2023-11-15 | Q2349051023 | 0.0118 ppm |
| 2023-11-15 | Q2349051024 | ND |
| 2023-12-06 | Q2352144001 | 0.0266 ppm |