Nitrate
Two Way Special Utility District
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 | 0.0271 ppm | 6 | 6 | 0.0101 ppm - 0.0337 ppm |
| 2019 | 0.0329 ppm | 6 | 6 | 0.0273 ppm - 0.0369 ppm |
| 2020 | 0.0387 ppm | 5 | 5 | 0.0330 ppm - 0.0451 ppm |
| 2021 | 0.0344 ppm | 6 | 6 | 0.0213 ppm - 0.0471 ppm |
| 2022 | 0.0374 ppm | 6 | 6 | 0.0125 ppm - 0.0546 ppm |
| 2023 | 0.0303 ppm | 5 | 5 | 0.0174 ppm - 0.0386 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2018-06-25 | Q1825251004 | 0.0329 ppm |
| 2018-06-25 | Q1825251005 | 0.0337 ppm |
| 2018-06-25 | Q1825251020 | 0.0330 ppm |
| 2018-06-25 | Q1825251021 | 0.0101 ppm |
| 2018-06-25 | Q1825251022 | 0.0315 ppm |
| 2018-06-25 | Q1825251003 | 0.0211 ppm |
| 2019-10-14 | Q1972459016 | 0.0305 ppm |
| 2019-10-14 | Q1972459017 | 0.0273 ppm |
| 2019-10-14 | Q1972459018 | 0.0360 ppm |
| 2019-12-11 | Q1979771002 | 0.0302 ppm |
| 2019-12-11 | Q1979771003 | 0.0369 ppm |
| 2019-12-11 | Q1979771001 | 0.0362 ppm |
| 2020-08-25 | Q2034116006 | 0.0341 ppm |
| 2020-10-12 | Q2039772018 | 0.0391 ppm |
| 2020-10-12 | Q2039772019 | 0.0421 ppm |
| 2020-10-12 | Q2039772020 | 0.0330 ppm |
| 2020-10-12 | Q2039772036 | 0.0451 ppm |
| 2021-11-09 | Q2131341006 | 0.0400 ppm |
| 2021-11-09 | Q2131341011 | 0.0471 ppm |
| 2021-11-09 | Q2131341010 | 0.0254 ppm |
| 2021-11-09 | Q2131341009 | 0.0325 ppm |
| 2021-11-09 | Q2131341008 | 0.0398 ppm |
| 2021-11-09 | Q2131341007 | 0.0213 ppm |
| 2022-10-11 | Q2230663003 | 0.0241 ppm |
| 2022-10-11 | Q2230663019 | 0.0514 ppm |
| 2022-10-11 | Q2230663020 | 0.0125 ppm |
| 2022-10-11 | Q2230663021 | 0.0504 ppm |
| 2022-10-11 | Q2230663023 | 0.0546 ppm |
| 2022-12-06 | Q2236335003 | 0.0314 ppm |
| 2023-07-24 | Q2329218006 | 0.0386 ppm |
| 2023-10-31 | Q2346526015 | 0.0313 ppm |
| 2023-10-31 | Q2346526020 | 0.0300 ppm |
| 2023-10-31 | Q2346526021 | 0.0174 ppm |
| 2023-10-31 | Q2346526022 | 0.0340 ppm |