Nitrate
City of Fort Worth
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | N/A | 0 | 0 | N/A |
| 2014 | 0.486 ppm | 10 | 10 | 0.282 ppm - 0.824 ppm |
| 2015 | 0.365 ppm | 9 | 9 | 0.186 ppm - 0.688 ppm |
| 2016 | 0.386 ppm | 9 | 9 | 0.147 ppm - 0.657 ppm |
| 2017 | 0.364 ppm | 9 | 9 | 0.134 ppm - 0.756 ppm |
| 2018 | 0.323 ppm | 8 | 8 | 0.168 ppm - 0.669 ppm |
| 2019 | 0.382 ppm | 10 | 10 | 0.179 ppm - 0.581 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2014-01-15 | Q1401044017 | 0.434 ppm |
| 2014-01-15 | Q1401044016 | 0.282 ppm |
| 2014-01-15 | Q1401044015 | 0.402 ppm |
| 2014-01-15 | Q1401044011 | 0.372 ppm |
| 2014-01-15 | Q1401044010 | 0.456 ppm |
| 2014-01-15 | Q1401044009 | 0.294 ppm |
| 2014-04-23 | Q1412967011 | 0.384 ppm |
| 2014-04-23 | Q1412967006 | 0.662 ppm |
| 2014-07-23 | Q1430620001 | 0.824 ppm |
| 2014-10-22 | Q1453627001 | 0.747 ppm |
| 2015-01-28 | Q1503441012 | 0.200 ppm |
| 2015-01-28 | Q1503441008 | 0.208 ppm |
| 2015-01-28 | Q1503441007 | 0.642 ppm |
| 2015-05-06 | Q1516781007 | 0.688 ppm |
| 2015-05-06 | Q1516781005 | 0.268 ppm |
| 2015-05-06 | Q1516781006 | 0.674 ppm |
| 2015-07-22 | Q1528331001 | 0.197 ppm |
| 2015-07-22 | Q1528384022 | 0.220 ppm |
| 2015-10-21 | Q1541671001 | 0.186 ppm |
| 2016-02-17 | Q1607007001 | 0.514 ppm |
| 2016-02-17 | Q1607005033 | 0.508 ppm |
| 2016-02-17 | Q1607005032 | 0.320 ppm |
| 2016-02-17 | Q1607005031 | 0.657 ppm |
| 2016-04-20 | Q1615700009 | 0.460 ppm |
| 2016-04-20 | Q1615700003 | 0.260 ppm |
| 2016-06-13 | Q1623857003 | 0.391 ppm |
| 2016-07-20 | Q1629547007 | 0.147 ppm |
| 2016-10-19 | Q1644729015 | 0.220 ppm |
| 2017-02-22 | Q1707727006 | 0.556 ppm |
| 2017-02-22 | Q1707727001 | 0.555 ppm |
| 2017-02-22 | Q1707727017 | 0.756 ppm |
| 2017-04-26 | Q1717031008 | 0.151 ppm |
| 2017-04-26 | Q1717031021 | 0.196 ppm |
| 2017-04-26 | Q1717031007 | 0.134 ppm |
| 2017-07-26 | Q1730775011 | 0.259 ppm |
| 2017-08-02 | Q1732335007 | 0.503 ppm |
| 2017-10-25 | Q1754862008 | 0.162 ppm |
| 2018-01-24 | Q1802705013 | 0.168 ppm |
| 2018-01-24 | Q1802705012 | 0.222 ppm |
| 2018-01-24 | Q1802705011 | 0.669 ppm |
| 2018-03-20 | Q1811001008 | 0.408 ppm |
| 2018-03-20 | Q1811001001 | 0.218 ppm |
| 2018-05-01 | Q1817445001 | 0.361 ppm |
| 2018-07-25 | Q1829430005 | 0.226 ppm |
| 2018-11-27 | Q1848074001 | 0.313 ppm |
| 2019-01-23 | Q1903345005 | 0.566 ppm |
| 2019-04-24 | Q1916570023 | 0.363 ppm |
| 2019-04-24 | Q1916570011 | 0.364 ppm |
| 2019-05-22 | Q1927658005 | 0.179 ppm |
| 2019-05-22 | Q1927658012 | 0.336 ppm |
| 2019-06-17 | Q1936867004 | 0.366 ppm |
| 2019-07-24 | Q1947967021 | 0.386 ppm |
| 2019-07-24 | Q1947967008 | 0.214 ppm |
| 2019-10-23 | Q1973436003 | 0.581 ppm |
| 2019-10-23 | Q1973436016 | 0.464 ppm |