Nitrate
City of Sansom Park
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 | 0.0724 ppm | 6 | 6 | 0.0320 ppm - 0.225 ppm |
| 2019 | 0.0454 ppm | 6 | 6 | 0.0294 ppm - 0.0630 ppm |
| 2020 | 0.0459 ppm | 6 | 6 | 0.0295 ppm - 0.0803 ppm |
| 2021 | 0.0615 ppm | 7 | 7 | 0.0439 ppm - 0.0731 ppm |
| 2022 | 0.0812 ppm | 7 | 7 | 0.0398 ppm - 0.141 ppm |
| 2023 | 0.119 ppm | 6 | 6 | 0.0360 ppm - 0.388 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2018-03-28 | Q1812846017 | 0.0336 ppm |
| 2018-03-28 | Q1812846018 | 0.0320 ppm |
| 2018-03-28 | Q1812846019 | 0.0353 ppm |
| 2018-03-28 | Q1812846020 | 0.0514 ppm |
| 2018-03-28 | Q1812846016 | 0.225 ppm |
| 2018-10-25 | Q1842722004 | 0.0569 ppm |
| 2019-05-02 | Q1918146014 | 0.0396 ppm |
| 2019-05-02 | Q1918146015 | 0.0387 ppm |
| 2019-05-02 | Q1918146013 | 0.0569 ppm |
| 2019-05-02 | Q1918146012 | 0.0449 ppm |
| 2019-05-02 | Q1918146011 | 0.0294 ppm |
| 2019-05-02 | Q1918146010 | 0.0630 ppm |
| 2020-01-21 | Q2002279018 | 0.0481 ppm |
| 2020-01-21 | Q2002279019 | 0.0328 ppm |
| 2020-01-21 | Q2002279020 | 0.0295 ppm |
| 2020-01-21 | Q2002279021 | 0.0803 ppm |
| 2020-09-01 | Q2034833009 | 0.0425 ppm |
| 2020-09-01 | Q2034833010 | 0.0420 ppm |
| 2021-03-09 | Q2106121022 | 0.0679 ppm |
| 2021-03-09 | Q2106121026 | 0.0702 ppm |
| 2021-03-09 | Q2106121025 | 0.0635 ppm |
| 2021-03-09 | Q2106121023 | 0.0514 ppm |
| 2021-03-09 | Q2106121021 | 0.0607 ppm |
| 2021-03-09 | Q2106121024 | 0.0439 ppm |
| 2021-09-14 | Q2124999009 | 0.0731 ppm |
| 2022-03-14 | Q2208529008 | 0.0606 ppm |
| 2022-10-13 | Q2231074020 | 0.0837 ppm |
| 2022-10-13 | Q2231074022 | 0.0398 ppm |
| 2022-10-13 | Q2231074021 | 0.0711 ppm |
| 2022-10-13 | Q2231074019 | 0.0830 ppm |
| 2022-10-13 | Q2231074018 | 0.0894 ppm |
| 2022-10-13 | Q2231074017 | 0.141 ppm |
| 2023-04-13 | Q2313713003 | 0.388 ppm |
| 2023-08-15 | Q2334087007 | 0.111 ppm |
| 2023-08-15 | Q2334087021 | 0.0604 ppm |
| 2023-08-15 | Q2334087022 | 0.0620 ppm |
| 2023-08-15 | Q2334087023 | 0.0566 ppm |
| 2023-08-15 | Q2334087024 | 0.0360 ppm |