Nitrate

City of Deer Park

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.

MORE ABOUT THIS CONTAMINANT

Samples

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

Year	Average result	Samples taken	Detections	Range of results
2013	N/A	0	0	N/A
2014	0.413 ppm	4	4	0.320 ppm - 0.560 ppm
2015	0.590 ppm	3	3	0.570 ppm - 0.620 ppm
2016	0.658 ppm	4	4	0.520 ppm - 0.790 ppm
2017	0.880 ppm	6	6	0.340 ppm - 1.21 ppm
2018	0.180 ppm	1	1	0.180 ppm
2019	0.560 ppm	1	1	0.560 ppm

ppm = parts per million

State and national drinking water standards and health guidelines

EWG Health Guideline 0.14 ppm

The EWG Health Guideline of 0.14 ppm for nitrate was defined by EWG . This health guideline protects against cancer and harm to fetal growth and development.

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
2014-02-10	AC41822	0.560 ppm
2014-05-01	AC52535	0.390 ppm
2014-05-01	AC52533	0.380 ppm
2014-05-01	AC52531	0.320 ppm
2015-02-12	AC80306	0.570 ppm
2015-02-12	AC80304	0.580 ppm
2015-02-12	AC80305	0.620 ppm
2016-01-27	AD20234	0.530 ppm
2016-01-27	AD20236	0.520 ppm
2016-06-17	AD41076	0.790 ppm
2016-10-04	AD52411	0.790 ppm
2017-01-19	AD65583	0.340 ppm
2017-05-15	AD84078	1.21 ppm
2017-05-15	AD84077	0.890 ppm
2017-05-15	AD84114	0.830 ppm
2017-05-15	AD84115	1.18 ppm
2017-05-15	AD84116	0.830 ppm
2018-09-10	AE39285	0.180 ppm
2019-01-16	AE49992	0.560 ppm