Nitrate
Goodfellow Air Force Base
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 | 1.07 ppm | 1 | 1 | 1.07 ppm |
| 2019 | 0.880 ppm | 1 | 1 | 0.880 ppm |
| 2020 | 0.958 ppm | 1 | 1 | 0.958 ppm |
| 2021 | 0.229 ppm | 10 | 10 | 0.170 ppm - 0.528 ppm |
| 2022 | 0.260 ppm | 13 | 13 | 0.146 ppm - 0.382 ppm |
| 2023 | 0.294 ppm | 13 | 13 | 0.166 ppm - 0.787 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2018-05-14 | Q1819501002 | 1.07 ppm |
| 2019-05-07 | Q1920789001 | 0.880 ppm |
| 2020-11-17 | Q2045442003 | 0.958 ppm |
| 2021-04-27 | Q2110658003 | 0.528 ppm |
| 2021-04-27 | Q2110658004 | 0.216 ppm |
| 2021-04-27 | Q2110658005 | 0.195 ppm |
| 2021-04-27 | Q2110658006 | 0.176 ppm |
| 2021-09-15 | Q2125250003 | 0.170 ppm |
| 2021-09-15 | Q2125250004 | 0.180 ppm |
| 2021-09-15 | Q2125250005 | 0.200 ppm |
| 2021-11-17 | Q2132329003 | 0.211 ppm |
| 2021-11-17 | Q2132329005 | 0.206 ppm |
| 2021-11-17 | Q2132329004 | 0.208 ppm |
| 2022-02-14 | Q2205300001 | 0.230 ppm |
| 2022-02-14 | Q2205300002 | 0.230 ppm |
| 2022-02-14 | Q2205300003 | 0.230 ppm |
| 2022-05-02 | Q2213019001 | 0.222 ppm |
| 2022-05-02 | Q2213019002 | 0.210 ppm |
| 2022-05-02 | Q2213019003 | 0.146 ppm |
| 2022-07-20 | Q2220796001 | 0.290 ppm |
| 2022-07-20 | Q2220796003 | 0.277 ppm |
| 2022-07-20 | Q2220796002 | 0.288 ppm |
| 2022-10-25 | Q2232148001 | 0.270 ppm |
| 2022-10-25 | Q2232148004 | 0.382 ppm |
| 2022-10-25 | Q2232148005 | 0.310 ppm |
| 2022-10-25 | Q2232148006 | 0.290 ppm |
| 2023-02-15 | Q2306328001 | 0.303 ppm |
| 2023-02-15 | Q2306328002 | 0.289 ppm |
| 2023-02-15 | Q2306328003 | 0.273 ppm |
| 2023-04-19 | Q2314551004 | 0.266 ppm |
| 2023-04-19 | Q2314551005 | 0.275 ppm |
| 2023-04-19 | Q2314551003 | 0.272 ppm |
| 2023-08-10 | Q2333212001 | 0.169 ppm |
| 2023-08-10 | Q2333212002 | 0.166 ppm |
| 2023-08-10 | Q2333212003 | 0.172 ppm |
| 2023-11-13 | Q2348437001 | 0.284 ppm |
| 2023-11-13 | Q2348437002 | 0.787 ppm |
| 2023-11-13 | Q2348437003 | 0.295 ppm |
| 2023-11-13 | Q2348437004 | 0.273 ppm |