Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Nitrate

North Rural Water Supply Corporation

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.

 

12

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

4

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
20180.153 ppm220.150 ppm - 0.156 ppm
20190.0435 ppm220.0394 ppm - 0.0475 ppm
20200.0444 ppm220.0438 ppm - 0.0449 ppm
20210.0388 ppm220.0383 ppm - 0.0392 ppm
20220.0650 ppm220.0400 ppm - 0.0900 ppm
20230.252 ppm220.161 ppm - 0.343 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
2018-02-28Q18083240010.156 ppm
2018-02-28Q18083240030.150 ppm
2019-05-29Q19296180010.0475 ppm
2019-05-29Q19296180020.0394 ppm
2020-02-26Q20072760010.0438 ppm
2020-02-26Q20072760020.0449 ppm
2021-05-26Q21136980030.0383 ppm
2021-05-26Q21136980040.0392 ppm
2022-02-14Q22051930010.0400 ppm
2022-02-14Q22051930020.0900 ppm
2023-06-07Q23214060010.343 ppm
2023-06-07Q23214060020.161 ppm