Nitrate
Modern Electric Water Company
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 | 0.746 ppm | 8 | 8 | 0.524 ppm - 1.13 ppm |
| 2019 | 0.783 ppm | 8 | 8 | 0.540 ppm - 1.000 ppm |
| 2020 | N/A | 0 | 0 | N/A |
| 2021 | 0.735 ppm | 8 | 8 | 0.249 ppm - 0.896 ppm |
| 2022 | 0.835 ppm | 8 | 8 | 0.546 ppm - 1.17 ppm |
| 2023 | 0.659 ppm | 9 | 9 | 0.471 ppm - 0.930 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2018-04-11 | 0.628 ppm | |
| 2018-04-11 | 0.796 ppm | |
| 2018-04-25 | 0.574 ppm | |
| 2018-04-25 | 0.524 ppm | |
| 2018-05-17 | 0.780 ppm | |
| 2018-09-26 | 1.13 ppm | |
| 2018-09-26 | 0.692 ppm | |
| 2018-09-26 | 0.840 ppm | |
| 2019-04-26 | 0.540 ppm | |
| 2019-04-26 | 0.825 ppm | |
| 2019-04-26 | 0.906 ppm | |
| 2019-04-26 | 0.884 ppm | |
| 2019-04-26 | 0.663 ppm | |
| 2019-06-28 | 1.000 ppm | |
| 2019-06-28 | 0.615 ppm | |
| 2019-06-28 | 0.833 ppm | |
| 2021-02-16 | 4216829 | 0.730 ppm |
| 2021-02-16 | 4216831 | 0.843 ppm |
| 2021-02-16 | 4216830 | 0.767 ppm |
| 2021-05-27 | 4129578 | 0.896 ppm |
| 2021-05-27 | 4129577 | 0.848 ppm |
| 2021-05-27 | 4129576 | 0.249 ppm |
| 2021-05-27 | 4129579 | 0.808 ppm |
| 2021-12-08 | 4215600 | 0.735 ppm |
| 2022-03-23 | 4256930 | 1.17 ppm |
| 2022-03-23 | 4256929 | 0.676 ppm |
| 2022-03-23 | 4256928 | 0.839 ppm |
| 2022-05-27 | 4282294 | 0.881 ppm |
| 2022-05-27 | 4282295 | 0.546 ppm |
| 2022-05-27 | 4282293 | 0.847 ppm |
| 2022-06-01 | 4284613 | 0.956 ppm |
| 2022-10-04 | 4347794 | 0.768 ppm |
| 2023-02-27 | 4424743 | 0.471 ppm |
| 2023-03-30 | 4461579 | 0.930 ppm |
| 2023-03-30 | 4461577 | 0.614 ppm |
| 2023-04-12 | 4437018 | 0.621 ppm |
| 2023-05-30 | 4455738 | 0.641 ppm |
| 2023-05-30 | 4455739 | 0.481 ppm |
| 2023-06-29 | 4480347 | 0.699 ppm |
| 2023-09-28 | 4543701 | 0.879 ppm |
| 2023-10-26 | 4542052 | 0.599 ppm |