Nitrate
Cross Timbers Water Supply Corporation
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 | 0.157 ppm | 5 | 4 | ND - 0.666 ppm |
| 2019 | 0.167 ppm | 5 | 3 | ND - 0.745 ppm |
| 2020 | 0.104 ppm | 5 | 3 | ND - 0.414 ppm |
| 2021 | 0.0676 ppm | 5 | 4 | ND - 0.182 ppm |
| 2022 | 0.235 ppm | 7 | 6 | ND - 0.550 ppm |
| 2023 | 0.343 ppm | 7 | 7 | 0.0399 ppm - 0.705 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2018-01-11 | Q1801616008 | 0.0790 ppm |
| 2018-01-11 | Q1801616007 | 0.0102 ppm |
| 2018-04-11 | Q1815188007 | 0.0275 ppm |
| 2018-04-11 | Q1815188008 | ND |
| 2018-12-05 | Q1849636001 | 0.666 ppm |
| 2019-03-07 | Q1909909005 | 0.745 ppm |
| 2019-03-07 | Q1909909010 | 0.0253 ppm |
| 2019-06-05 | Q1932306010 | ND |
| 2019-06-05 | Q1932306012 | ND |
| 2019-06-05 | Q1932306013 | 0.0656 ppm |
| 2020-05-18 | Q2019652008 | ND |
| 2020-10-12 | Q2039719016 | ND |
| 2020-10-12 | Q2039719017 | 0.0719 ppm |
| 2020-10-12 | Q2039719018 | 0.414 ppm |
| 2020-12-01 | Q2048173007 | 0.0322 ppm |
| 2021-08-30 | Q2123513018 | 0.182 ppm |
| 2021-08-30 | Q2123513017 | 0.0487 ppm |
| 2021-08-30 | Q2123513005 | 0.0754 ppm |
| 2021-08-30 | Q2123513006 | ND |
| 2021-11-08 | Q2131371004 | 0.0320 ppm |
| 2022-02-17 | Q2205965008 | 0.0701 ppm |
| 2022-02-17 | Q2205965009 | 0.378 ppm |
| 2022-09-22 | Q2228542001 | 0.550 ppm |
| 2022-11-29 | Q2235312013 | 0.0694 ppm |
| 2022-11-29 | Q2235312016 | 0.514 ppm |
| 2022-11-29 | Q2235312012 | ND |
| 2022-11-29 | Q2235312001 | 0.0645 ppm |
| 2023-03-02 | Q2308488001 | 0.683 ppm |
| 2023-03-02 | Q2308488018 | 0.121 ppm |
| 2023-06-19 | Q2323082001 | 0.411 ppm |
| 2023-09-20 | Q2340862001 | 0.394 ppm |
| 2023-11-27 | Q2350411009 | 0.0399 ppm |
| 2023-11-27 | Q2350411010 | 0.0444 ppm |
| 2023-11-27 | Q2350411017 | 0.705 ppm |