Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Nitrate

Denton County Fresh Water Supply District 11-c

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.

 

24

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

23

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
20180.353 ppm440.159 ppm - 0.641 ppm
20190.348 ppm440.160 ppm - 0.453 ppm
20200.419 ppm440.171 ppm - 0.621 ppm
20210.402 ppm440.154 ppm - 0.582 ppm
20220.248 ppm440.119 ppm - 0.444 ppm
20230.372 ppm440.176 ppm - 0.576 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
2018-01-03Q18003390010.326 ppm
2018-04-05Q18141840020.641 ppm
2018-07-05Q18265680020.159 ppm
2018-10-03Q18397230010.284 ppm
2019-01-08Q19005980020.453 ppm
2019-04-09Q19145110010.437 ppm
2019-08-05Q19507310010.160 ppm
2019-10-02Q19711180010.341 ppm
2020-01-15Q20015930010.598 ppm
2020-05-18Q20196740010.621 ppm
2020-09-10Q20361150010.284 ppm
2020-11-24Q20471610020.171 ppm
2021-02-24Q21047570010.516 ppm
2021-05-26Q21138170010.582 ppm
2021-08-24Q21230330020.356 ppm
2021-11-10Q21315980010.154 ppm
2022-02-15Q22054350010.160 ppm
2022-05-09Q22137900010.444 ppm
2022-08-18Q22246220020.119 ppm
2022-10-18Q22317340010.269 ppm
2023-01-25Q23035550010.490 ppm
2023-06-12Q23221210010.246 ppm
2023-08-29Q23373250020.176 ppm
2023-11-08Q23480540020.576 ppm