Nitrate
City of Chandler
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 | 0.0723 ppm | 5 | 5 | 0.0121 ppm - 0.178 ppm |
| 2019 | 0.0371 ppm | 5 | 5 | 0.0162 ppm - 0.106 ppm |
| 2020 | 0.0282 ppm | 4 | 4 | 0.0175 ppm - 0.0405 ppm |
| 2021 | 0.0372 ppm | 5 | 5 | 0.0200 ppm - 0.0612 ppm |
| 2022 | 0.0334 ppm | 5 | 5 | 0.0195 ppm - 0.0596 ppm |
| 2023 | 0.0585 ppm | 5 | 5 | 0.0193 ppm - 0.113 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2018-05-31 | Q1821776008 | 0.0205 ppm |
| 2018-05-31 | Q1821776005 | 0.0121 ppm |
| 2018-10-15 | Q1840931010 | 0.178 ppm |
| 2018-10-15 | Q1840931011 | 0.0177 ppm |
| 2018-10-15 | Q1840931012 | 0.133 ppm |
| 2019-03-19 | Q1911348001 | 0.0162 ppm |
| 2019-03-19 | Q1911348003 | 0.0232 ppm |
| 2019-03-19 | Q1911348004 | 0.106 ppm |
| 2019-03-19 | Q1911348005 | 0.0174 ppm |
| 2019-09-11 | Q1963871007 | 0.0228 ppm |
| 2020-03-24 | Q2012436017 | 0.0286 ppm |
| 2020-03-24 | Q2012436018 | 0.0175 ppm |
| 2020-03-24 | Q2012436023 | 0.0260 ppm |
| 2020-06-23 | Q2025085013 | 0.0405 ppm |
| 2021-05-04 | Q2111316013 | 0.0415 ppm |
| 2021-05-04 | Q2111316016 | 0.0216 ppm |
| 2021-05-04 | Q2111316015 | 0.0612 ppm |
| 2021-05-04 | Q2111316014 | 0.0416 ppm |
| 2021-12-15 | Q2135508004 | 0.0200 ppm |
| 2022-03-31 | Q2210090017 | 0.0203 ppm |
| 2022-03-31 | Q2210090021 | 0.0315 ppm |
| 2022-03-31 | Q2210090022 | 0.0359 ppm |
| 2022-03-31 | Q2210090023 | 0.0195 ppm |
| 2022-03-31 | Q2210090024 | 0.0596 ppm |
| 2023-01-12 | Q2301951001 | 0.0193 ppm |
| 2023-01-12 | Q2301951008 | 0.0290 ppm |
| 2023-01-12 | Q2301951009 | 0.0253 ppm |
| 2023-10-02 | Q2342088010 | 0.113 ppm |
| 2023-10-02 | Q2342088013 | 0.106 ppm |