Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Nitrate

South Ellis County Water Supply

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.

 

12

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
20180.0935 ppm220.0690 ppm - 0.118 ppm
20190.0501 ppm220.0492 ppm - 0.0510 ppm
20200.0314 ppm220.0260 ppm - 0.0367 ppm
20210.0547 ppm220.0488 ppm - 0.0605 ppm
20220.0370 ppm220.0321 ppm - 0.0419 ppm
20230.0349 ppm220.0214 ppm - 0.0484 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
2018-01-24Q18027490090.0690 ppm
2018-01-24Q18027490100.118 ppm
2019-08-22Q19586040010.0492 ppm
2019-08-22Q19586040020.0510 ppm
2020-06-23Q20250800060.0260 ppm
2020-06-23Q20250800070.0367 ppm
2021-07-29Q21198570140.0605 ppm
2021-07-29Q21198570150.0488 ppm
2022-08-03Q22222440070.0321 ppm
2022-08-03Q22222440080.0419 ppm
2023-03-08Q23091730040.0214 ppm
2023-05-18Q23187710040.0484 ppm