Nitrate
Stockton Town Water System
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 | 0.785 ppm | 3 | 3 | 0.695 ppm - 0.895 ppm |
| 2019 | 0.803 ppm | 1 | 1 | 0.803 ppm |
| 2020 | 0.759 ppm | 4 | 4 | 0.684 ppm - 0.845 ppm |
| 2021 | 0.685 ppm | 4 | 4 | 0.579 ppm - 0.800 ppm |
| 2022 | 0.793 ppm | 7 | 7 | 0.714 ppm - 0.900 ppm |
| 2023 | 0.705 ppm | 4 | 4 | 0.575 ppm - 0.849 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 | Result |
|---|---|
| 2018-01-02 | 0.895 ppm |
| 2018-04-02 | 0.764 ppm |
| 2018-07-17 | 0.695 ppm |
| 2019-01-07 | 0.803 ppm |
| 2020-01-07 | 0.845 ppm |
| 2020-04-06 | 0.684 ppm |
| 2020-07-06 | 0.764 ppm |
| 2020-10-05 | 0.741 ppm |
| 2021-01-04 | 0.800 ppm |
| 2021-04-07 | 0.638 ppm |
| 2021-07-06 | 0.721 ppm |
| 2021-10-05 | 0.579 ppm |
| 2022-01-05 | 0.793 ppm |
| 2022-04-04 | 0.748 ppm |
| 2022-07-05 | 0.797 ppm |
| 2022-08-03 | 0.800 ppm |
| 2022-08-08 | 0.800 ppm |
| 2022-08-17 | 0.900 ppm |
| 2022-10-04 | 0.714 ppm |
| 2023-01-03 | 0.849 ppm |
| 2023-04-05 | 0.698 ppm |
| 2023-07-10 | 0.575 ppm |
| 2023-10-03 | 0.700 ppm |