Nitrate
Sundance Addition
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 | 0.0521 ppm | 3 | 3 | 0.0318 ppm - 0.0666 ppm |
| 2019 | 0.0517 ppm | 3 | 3 | 0.0257 ppm - 0.0718 ppm |
| 2020 | 0.0476 ppm | 3 | 3 | 0.0219 ppm - 0.0642 ppm |
| 2021 | 0.0516 ppm | 3 | 3 | 0.0247 ppm - 0.0700 ppm |
| 2022 | 0.0553 ppm | 3 | 3 | 0.0308 ppm - 0.0706 ppm |
| 2023 | 0.0425 ppm | 3 | 3 | 0.0220 ppm - 0.0531 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2018-03-27 | Q1812580005 | 0.0666 ppm |
| 2018-03-27 | Q1812580010 | 0.0578 ppm |
| 2018-03-27 | Q1812580004 | 0.0318 ppm |
| 2019-09-09 | Q1962975013 | 0.0257 ppm |
| 2019-09-09 | Q1962975016 | 0.0575 ppm |
| 2019-09-09 | Q1962975017 | 0.0718 ppm |
| 2020-07-22 | Q2028870008 | 0.0219 ppm |
| 2020-07-22 | Q2028870011 | 0.0567 ppm |
| 2020-07-22 | Q2028870014 | 0.0642 ppm |
| 2021-12-09 | Q2134714013 | 0.0600 ppm |
| 2021-12-09 | Q2134714021 | 0.0247 ppm |
| 2021-12-09 | Q2134714014 | 0.0700 ppm |
| 2022-10-21 | Q2232010002 | 0.0308 ppm |
| 2022-10-21 | Q2232010014 | 0.0644 ppm |
| 2022-10-21 | Q2232010015 | 0.0706 ppm |
| 2023-03-20 | Q2310440010 | 0.0524 ppm |
| 2023-03-20 | Q2310440011 | 0.0220 ppm |
| 2023-03-20 | Q2310440012 | 0.0531 ppm |