Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Nitrate

North Central Texas Municipal Water Authority

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.

 

73

Samples

1

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

69

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
20181.42 ppm13130.206 ppm - 2.70 ppm
20191.85 ppm13130.301 ppm - 5.10 ppm
20201.68 ppm11110.0817 ppm - 3.62 ppm
20211.73 ppm10100.0549 ppm - 3.20 ppm
20222.88 ppm13130.118 ppm - 8.64 ppm
20233.81 ppm13130.0846 ppm - 10.1 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
2018-02-13Q18063660051.93 ppm
2018-02-13Q18063660040.206 ppm
2018-02-13Q18063660131.03 ppm
2018-02-13Q18063660120.631 ppm
2018-05-15Q18197780011.92 ppm
2018-05-15Q18197780090.725 ppm
2018-05-15Q18197780100.930 ppm
2018-09-10Q18356550012.69 ppm
2018-09-10Q18356550020.978 ppm
2018-09-10Q18356550030.610 ppm
2018-11-19Q18471980022.70 ppm
2018-11-19Q18471980032.69 ppm
2018-11-19Q18471980051.42 ppm
2019-03-07Q19098670042.87 ppm
2019-03-07Q19098670080.371 ppm
2019-03-07Q19098670110.688 ppm
2019-03-07Q19098670125.10 ppm
2019-05-14Q19258120062.05 ppm
2019-05-14Q19258120041.99 ppm
2019-05-14Q19258120051.84 ppm
2019-09-10Q19634320122.86 ppm
2019-09-10Q19634320130.301 ppm
2019-09-10Q19634320141.26 ppm
2019-11-06Q19759180012.66 ppm
2019-11-06Q19759180020.825 ppm
2019-11-06Q19759180031.27 ppm
2020-03-17Q20117090071.09 ppm
2020-03-17Q20117090160.0817 ppm
2020-03-17Q20117090082.19 ppm
2020-03-17Q20117090063.62 ppm
2020-05-26Q20206170052.80 ppm
2020-05-26Q20206170060.875 ppm
2020-05-26Q20206170071.18 ppm
2020-09-15Q20365110032.08 ppm
2020-09-15Q20365110041.52 ppm
2020-12-02Q20481050041.94 ppm
2020-12-02Q20481050031.10 ppm
2021-03-01Q21051280082.35 ppm
2021-03-01Q21051280091.17 ppm
2021-05-18Q21129670082.03 ppm
2021-05-18Q21129670090.884 ppm
2021-05-18Q21129670150.590 ppm
2021-08-24Q21229780080.0549 ppm
2021-08-24Q21229780102.86 ppm
2021-08-24Q21229780111.58 ppm
2021-11-16Q21320160022.61 ppm
2021-11-16Q21320160013.20 ppm
2022-03-02Q22072420122.76 ppm
2022-03-02Q22072420131.38 ppm
2022-03-02Q22072420188.01 ppm
2022-05-24Q22150640012.23 ppm
2022-05-24Q22150640022.67 ppm
2022-05-24Q22150640038.64 ppm
2022-09-07Q22266140070.174 ppm
2022-09-07Q22266140031.92 ppm
2022-09-07Q22266140010.118 ppm
2022-09-07Q22266140040.599 ppm
2022-11-15Q22343020012.42 ppm
2022-11-15Q22343020020.742 ppm
2022-11-15Q22343020035.81 ppm
2023-03-08Q23091880012.75 ppm
2023-03-08Q23091880112.05 ppm
2023-03-08Q23091880126.40 ppm
2023-05-16Q23184160075.82 ppm
2023-05-16Q23184160090.362 ppm
2023-05-16Q23184160023.00 ppm
2023-09-05Q23380050030.0846 ppm
2023-09-05Q23380050074.42 ppm
2023-09-05Q23380050082.48 ppm
2023-09-05Q233800500910.1 ppm
2023-11-28Q23506060014.09 ppm
2023-11-28Q23506060021.80 ppm
2023-11-28Q23506060036.14 ppm