Nitrate
City of Alvarado
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 | 0.146 ppm | 4 | 4 | 0.0379 ppm - 0.395 ppm |
| 2019 | 0.0498 ppm | 4 | 4 | 0.0372 ppm - 0.0663 ppm |
| 2020 | 0.0440 ppm | 4 | 4 | 0.0315 ppm - 0.0637 ppm |
| 2021 | 0.381 ppm | 3 | 3 | 0.349 ppm - 0.403 ppm |
| 2022 | 0.313 ppm | 4 | 4 | 0.230 ppm - 0.377 ppm |
| 2023 | 0.459 ppm | 4 | 4 | 0.360 ppm - 0.587 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2018-03-13 | Q1810144011 | 0.395 ppm |
| 2018-03-13 | Q1810144012 | 0.0410 ppm |
| 2018-03-13 | Q1810144010 | 0.0379 ppm |
| 2018-12-14 | Q1851816001 | 0.110 ppm |
| 2019-03-25 | Q1912075001 | 0.0663 ppm |
| 2019-03-25 | Q1912075002 | 0.0446 ppm |
| 2019-03-25 | Q1912075016 | 0.0372 ppm |
| 2019-03-25 | Q1912075017 | 0.0512 ppm |
| 2020-06-30 | Q2025912033 | 0.0315 ppm |
| 2020-06-30 | Q2025912022 | 0.0405 ppm |
| 2020-06-30 | Q2025912021 | 0.0402 ppm |
| 2020-06-30 | Q2025912020 | 0.0637 ppm |
| 2021-04-19 | Q2109920001 | 0.403 ppm |
| 2021-09-17 | Q2125647003 | 0.392 ppm |
| 2021-12-08 | Q2134397001 | 0.349 ppm |
| 2022-03-03 | Q2207426001 | 0.344 ppm |
| 2022-06-13 | Q2216388001 | 0.302 ppm |
| 2022-09-15 | Q2227737001 | 0.230 ppm |
| 2022-10-27 | Q2232609001 | 0.377 ppm |
| 2023-02-15 | Q2306261001 | 0.507 ppm |
| 2023-05-01 | Q2316283001 | 0.382 ppm |
| 2023-07-27 | Q2330231001 | 0.360 ppm |
| 2023-11-15 | Q2349121001 | 0.587 ppm |