Nitrate
Cedar City Waterworks
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 0.650 ppm | 2 | 2 | 0.600 ppm - 0.700 ppm |
| 2015 | 0.500 ppm | 5 | 5 | 0.300 ppm - 0.900 ppm |
| 2016 | 0.550 ppm | 6 | 6 | 0.300 ppm - 1.000 ppm |
| 2017 | 0.473 ppm | 5 | 5 | 0.250 ppm - 0.869 ppm |
| 2018 | 0.365 ppm | 5 | 5 | 0.229 ppm - 0.468 ppm |
| 2019 | 0.394 ppm | 5 | 5 | 0.191 ppm - 0.814 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 | Result |
|---|---|
| 2014-06-17 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2014-06-17 | 0.600 ppm |
| 2015-06-10 | 0.300 ppm |
| 2015-06-10 | 0.600 ppm |
| 2015-06-10 | 0.400 ppm |
| 2015-06-10 | 0.900 ppm |
| 2015-06-10 | 0.300 ppm |
| 2016-06-14 | 0.500 ppm |
| 2016-06-14 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2016-06-14 | 0.500 ppm |
| 2016-06-14 | 0.300 ppm |
| 2016-06-14 | 1.000 ppm |
| 2016-11-07 | 0.300 ppm |
| 2017-06-07 | 0.294 ppm |
| 2017-06-07 | 0.549 ppm |
| 2017-06-07 | 0.869 ppm |
| 2017-06-07 | 0.250 ppm |
| 2017-06-07 | 0.402 ppm |
| 2018-06-12 | 0.229 ppm |
| 2018-06-12 | 0.408 ppm |
| 2018-06-12 | 0.292 ppm |
| 2018-06-12 | 0.431 ppm |
| 2018-06-12 | 0.468 ppm |
| 2019-06-11 | 0.191 ppm |
| 2019-06-11 | 0.814 ppm |
| 2019-06-11 | 0.205 ppm |
| 2019-06-11 | 0.372 ppm |
| 2019-06-11 | 0.391 ppm |