Nitrate
Chalk Hill Special Utility District
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 | 0.0280 ppm | 4 | 4 | 0.0268 ppm - 0.0290 ppm |
| 2019 | 0.0292 ppm | 4 | 4 | 0.0253 ppm - 0.0330 ppm |
| 2020 | 0.0321 ppm | 4 | 4 | 0.0296 ppm - 0.0346 ppm |
| 2021 | 0.0319 ppm | 4 | 4 | 0.0309 ppm - 0.0342 ppm |
| 2022 | 0.0352 ppm | 4 | 4 | 0.0305 ppm - 0.0379 ppm |
| 2023 | 0.0326 ppm | 4 | 4 | 0.0287 ppm - 0.0355 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2018-06-20 | Q1824487013 | 0.0284 ppm |
| 2018-06-20 | Q1824487016 | 0.0279 ppm |
| 2018-06-20 | Q1824487017 | 0.0268 ppm |
| 2018-06-20 | Q1824487003 | 0.0290 ppm |
| 2019-01-10 | Q1901411002 | 0.0264 ppm |
| 2019-04-08 | Q1914000001 | 0.0330 ppm |
| 2019-04-08 | Q1914000010 | 0.0322 ppm |
| 2019-04-08 | Q1914000011 | 0.0253 ppm |
| 2020-03-23 | Q2012183006 | 0.0312 ppm |
| 2020-12-17 | Q2050083014 | 0.0346 ppm |
| 2020-12-17 | Q2050083015 | 0.0296 ppm |
| 2020-12-17 | Q2050083018 | 0.0330 ppm |
| 2021-11-09 | Q2131359007 | 0.0342 ppm |
| 2021-11-09 | Q2131359011 | 0.0310 ppm |
| 2021-11-09 | Q2131359010 | 0.0309 ppm |
| 2021-11-09 | Q2131359009 | 0.0313 ppm |
| 2022-12-13 | Q2237298011 | 0.0379 ppm |
| 2022-12-13 | Q2237298012 | 0.0379 ppm |
| 2022-12-13 | Q2237298013 | 0.0305 ppm |
| 2022-12-13 | Q2237298014 | 0.0345 ppm |
| 2023-03-20 | Q2310465001 | 0.0333 ppm |
| 2023-03-20 | Q2310465006 | 0.0329 ppm |
| 2023-05-23 | Q2319409010 | 0.0287 ppm |
| 2023-05-23 | Q2319409016 | 0.0355 ppm |