Nitrate
Brookeland Fresh Water Supply 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 | 0.0270 ppm | 2 | 2 | 0.0124 ppm - 0.0416 ppm |
| 2019 | 0.0268 ppm | 2 | 2 | 0.0181 ppm - 0.0355 ppm |
| 2020 | 0.0179 ppm | 2 | 1 | ND - 0.0357 ppm |
| 2021 | 0.0218 ppm | 2 | 2 | 0.0195 ppm - 0.0241 ppm |
| 2022 | 0.0174 ppm | 2 | 2 | 0.01000 ppm - 0.0248 ppm |
| 2023 | 0.0135 ppm | 2 | 2 | 0.0114 ppm - 0.0156 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2018-12-10 | Q1850387001 | 0.0416 ppm |
| 2018-12-10 | Q1850387010 | 0.0124 ppm |
| 2019-07-10 | Q1943726002 | 0.0181 ppm |
| 2019-07-10 | Q1943726005 | 0.0355 ppm |
| 2020-04-07 | Q2014006007 | ND |
| 2020-04-07 | Q2014006008 | 0.0357 ppm |
| 2021-09-01 | Q2123830010 | 0.0195 ppm |
| 2021-09-01 | Q2123830016 | 0.0241 ppm |
| 2022-02-07 | Q2203973005 | 0.01000 ppm |
| 2022-08-16 | Q2224005005 | 0.0248 ppm |
| 2023-06-26 | Q2324301007 | 0.0114 ppm |
| 2023-06-26 | Q2324301008 | 0.0156 ppm |