Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Nitrate

Westside 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.

 

24

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

1

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
20180.0547 ppm43ND - 0.121 ppm
20190.0560 ppm43ND - 0.101 ppm
20200.0654 ppm440.0375 ppm - 0.0905 ppm
20210.0997 ppm440.0284 ppm - 0.204 ppm
20220.0470 ppm43ND - 0.102 ppm
20230.0223 ppm41ND - 0.0890 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
2018-10-30Q1843596012ND
2018-10-30Q18435960130.0500 ppm
2018-10-30Q18435960230.121 ppm
2018-10-30Q18435960110.0477 ppm
2019-05-07Q19208490150.101 ppm
2019-05-07Q19208490180.0796 ppm
2019-05-07Q1920849019ND
2019-05-07Q19208490200.0435 ppm
2020-01-23Q20027630180.0800 ppm
2020-01-23Q20027630190.0905 ppm
2020-01-23Q20027630200.0535 ppm
2020-01-23Q20027630210.0375 ppm
2021-01-25Q21016990180.117 ppm
2021-01-25Q21016990260.204 ppm
2021-01-25Q21016990200.0493 ppm
2021-01-25Q21016990190.0284 ppm
2022-11-10Q22339730010.102 ppm
2022-11-10Q22339730170.0246 ppm
2022-11-10Q2233973018ND
2022-11-10Q22339730190.0613 ppm
2023-03-20Q23104390080.0890 ppm
2023-06-21Q2323858010ND
2023-06-21Q2323858011ND
2023-06-21Q2323858012ND