Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Nitrate

City of Moses Lake

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.

 

96

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

42

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
20180.410 ppm1810ND - 2.79 ppm
20191.45 ppm1913ND - 6.34 ppm
2020N/A00N/A
20210.726 ppm2312ND - 5.10 ppm
20220.269 ppm198ND - 1.48 ppm
20230.773 ppm179ND - 5.19 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
2018-03-28ND
2018-03-28ND
2018-03-281.63 ppm
2018-03-29ND
2018-03-290.280 ppm
2018-05-152.79 ppm
2018-06-280.0900 ppm
2018-07-02ND
2018-07-051.11 ppm
2018-07-050.120 ppm
2018-07-09ND
2018-07-090.0800 ppm
2018-08-130.840 ppm
2018-09-10ND
2018-09-100.180 ppm
2018-09-10ND
2018-09-110.260 ppm
2018-12-10ND
2019-02-076.34 ppm
2019-03-26ND
2019-03-260.460 ppm
2019-03-26ND
2019-03-271.77 ppm
2019-04-020.660 ppm
2019-07-02ND
2019-07-02ND
2019-07-02ND
2019-07-022.07 ppm
2019-07-022.53 ppm
2019-07-024.35 ppm
2019-09-101.14 ppm
2019-10-08ND
2019-10-080.110 ppm
2019-10-090.0700 ppm
2019-11-122.12 ppm
2019-11-205.65 ppm
2019-12-030.240 ppm
2021-02-0240703155.10 ppm
2021-03-0840821620.190 ppm
2021-03-084082163ND
2021-04-1340977852.77 ppm
2021-05-1241091240.440 ppm
2021-06-0942188120.1000 ppm
2021-06-144125930ND
2021-07-214146266ND
2021-07-2141462671.31 ppm
2021-07-214146265ND
2021-07-214146250ND
2021-07-2741462690.1000 ppm
2021-08-1841670050.0700 ppm
2021-09-0141670170.870 ppm
2021-09-014167018ND
2021-09-014167019ND
2021-09-2741761542.41 ppm
2021-10-064186011ND
2021-10-064186009ND
2021-10-0641860103.16 ppm
2021-10-064186012ND
2021-11-0842017750.170 ppm
2021-12-074245713ND
2022-03-1042564770.793 ppm
2022-03-104256478ND
2022-03-154252265ND
2022-03-224261446ND
2022-03-2242614801.48 ppm
2022-03-224261444ND
2022-03-224261448ND
2022-03-224261482ND
2022-04-1842667640.723 ppm
2022-06-064288930ND
2022-06-0642889310.258 ppm
2022-06-1342907280.194 ppm
2022-08-164330214ND
2022-09-1243551830.888 ppm
2022-09-124344698ND
2022-10-064354261ND
2022-10-064355192ND
2022-10-2643610020.127 ppm
2022-11-2844341420.655 ppm
2023-03-294432779ND
2023-03-2944327781.22 ppm
2023-04-2644449250.346 ppm
2023-06-2144665800.595 ppm
2023-06-2144665810.0620 ppm
2023-06-2144692620.611 ppm
2023-06-214470480ND
2023-07-1344798121.15 ppm
2023-09-1345129640.952 ppm
2023-09-134512963ND
2023-10-0445731223.01 ppm
2023-10-044573116ND
2023-10-264539334ND
2023-11-2845475455.19 ppm
2023-12-204560249ND
2023-12-204560251ND
2023-12-204560253ND