Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Nitrate

Harris County Municipal Utility District 255

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.

 

48

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

41

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
20180.233 ppm880.0200 ppm - 0.440 ppm
20190.501 ppm880.150 ppm - 1.05 ppm
20200.511 ppm880.250 ppm - 0.860 ppm
20210.391 ppm880.140 ppm - 0.680 ppm
20220.224 ppm880.0900 ppm - 0.500 ppm
20230.386 ppm880.120 ppm - 0.670 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
2018-01-22AE093840.280 ppm
2018-01-22AE093830.310 ppm
2018-04-02AE207580.0200 ppm
2018-04-02AE207570.0500 ppm
2018-07-30AE347910.190 ppm
2018-07-30AE347930.130 ppm
2018-10-18AE438510.440 ppm
2018-10-18AE438520.440 ppm
2019-02-22AE555470.540 ppm
2019-02-22AE555520.520 ppm
2019-04-22AE630761.05 ppm
2019-04-22AE630771.02 ppm
2019-09-16AE834430.150 ppm
2019-09-16AE834420.180 ppm
2019-11-19AE897070.290 ppm
2019-11-19AE897080.260 ppm
2020-02-07AE974660.860 ppm
2020-02-07AE974670.630 ppm
2020-04-20AF073920.700 ppm
2020-04-20AF073940.790 ppm
2020-08-19AF244380.250 ppm
2020-08-19AF244390.270 ppm
2020-11-03AF329560.310 ppm
2020-11-03AF329590.280 ppm
2021-02-11AF436030.680 ppm
2021-02-11AF436090.320 ppm
2021-04-23AF511970.370 ppm
2021-04-23AF511990.140 ppm
2021-07-28AF636370.510 ppm
2021-07-28AF636380.510 ppm
2021-10-08AF727670.300 ppm
2021-10-08AF727680.300 ppm
2022-01-24AF811100.500 ppm
2022-01-24AF811110.260 ppm
2022-05-20AF978610.220 ppm
2022-05-20AF978620.170 ppm
2022-07-20AG054280.1000 ppm
2022-07-20AG054300.0900 ppm
2022-10-20AG176950.230 ppm
2022-10-20AG176990.220 ppm
2023-02-09AG282620.510 ppm
2023-02-09AG282690.450 ppm
2023-05-16AG406200.670 ppm
2023-05-16AG406330.670 ppm
2023-09-20AG570020.120 ppm
2023-09-20AG570030.150 ppm
2023-11-09AG629700.300 ppm
2023-11-09AG629730.220 ppm