Nitrate

Benton City WSC

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.

MORE ABOUT THIS CONTAMINANT

Samples

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

Year	Average result	Samples taken	Detections	Range of results
2014	0.0325 ppm	4	1	ND - 0.130 ppm
2015	0.0375 ppm	4	2	ND - 0.130 ppm
2016	0.145 ppm	4	2	ND - 0.340 ppm
2017	0.1000 ppm	4	2	ND - 0.280 ppm
2018	0.0400 ppm	4	1	ND - 0.160 ppm
2019	0.0225 ppm	4	1	ND - 0.0900 ppm

ppm = parts per million

State and national drinking water standards and health guidelines

EWG Health Guideline 0.14 ppm

The EWG Health Guideline of 0.14 ppm for nitrate was defined by EWG . This health guideline protects against cancer and harm to fetal growth and development.

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
2014-02-13	AC42688	ND
2014-02-13	AC42687	ND
2014-02-13	AC42686	ND
2014-05-05	AC52763	0.130 ppm
2015-01-30	AC78589	0.130 ppm
2015-04-06	AC87308	0.0200 ppm
2015-04-06	AC87307	ND
2015-04-06	AC87309	ND
2016-01-28	AD20599	ND
2016-01-28	AD20559	0.340 ppm
2016-01-28	AD20594	0.240 ppm
2016-01-28	AD20598	ND
2017-03-16	AD75838	ND
2017-05-23	AD85340	ND
2017-05-23	AD85362	0.280 ppm
2017-08-09	AD92485	0.120 ppm
2018-04-02	AE20747	0.160 ppm
2018-04-02	AE20750	ND
2018-04-02	AE20749	ND
2018-08-10	AE36503	ND
2019-01-30	AE52085	0.0900 ppm
2019-01-30	AE52114	ND
2019-01-30	AE52117	ND
2019-12-18	AE92750	ND