Nitrate
Vera Water & Power
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 | 0.720 ppm | 8 | 8 | 0.557 ppm - 1.08 ppm |
| 2015 | 1.09 ppm | 10 | 10 | 0.499 ppm - 2.83 ppm |
| 2016 | 1.02 ppm | 9 | 9 | 0.429 ppm - 2.62 ppm |
| 2017 | 1.41 ppm | 9 | 9 | 0.656 ppm - 2.82 ppm |
| 2018 | 1.35 ppm | 9 | 9 | 0.623 ppm - 2.19 ppm |
| 2019 | 0.986 ppm | 9 | 9 | 0.571 ppm - 2.43 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 | Lab ID | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 2014-12-08 | 55477 | 0.608 ppm |
| 2014-12-09 | 55472 | 0.842 ppm |
| 2014-12-09 | 55473 | 1.08 ppm |
| 2014-12-09 | 55474 | 0.582 ppm |
| 2014-12-09 | 55475 | 0.557 ppm |
| 2014-12-09 | 55476 | 0.714 ppm |
| 2014-12-09 | 55478 | 0.635 ppm |
| 2014-12-09 | 55470 | 0.739 ppm |
| 2015-05-13 | 60029 | 2.77 ppm |
| 2015-07-23 | 63127 | 0.660 ppm |
| 2015-07-23 | 63120 | 0.666 ppm |
| 2015-07-23 | 63126 | 0.629 ppm |
| 2015-07-23 | 63121 | 0.799 ppm |
| 2015-07-23 | 63128 | 2.83 ppm |
| 2015-07-23 | 63122 | 0.929 ppm |
| 2015-07-23 | 63123 | 0.499 ppm |
| 2015-07-23 | 63124 | 0.566 ppm |
| 2015-07-23 | 63125 | 0.520 ppm |
| 2016-10-14 | 0.719 ppm | |
| 2016-10-18 | 2.62 ppm | |
| 2016-10-18 | 2.60 ppm | |
| 2016-10-25 | 0.720 ppm | |
| 2016-10-25 | 0.562 ppm | |
| 2016-10-25 | 0.588 ppm | |
| 2016-10-25 | 0.429 ppm | |
| 2016-10-26 | 0.477 ppm | |
| 2016-10-26 | 0.454 ppm | |
| 2017-09-20 | 1.24 ppm | |
| 2017-09-20 | 2.82 ppm | |
| 2017-09-20 | 1.32 ppm | |
| 2017-09-20 | 1.22 ppm | |
| 2017-10-18 | 2.56 ppm | |
| 2017-10-18 | 1.37 ppm | |
| 2017-10-18 | 0.784 ppm | |
| 2017-10-18 | 0.740 ppm | |
| 2017-10-18 | 0.656 ppm | |
| 2018-05-29 | 0.819 ppm | |
| 2018-05-29 | 1.04 ppm | |
| 2018-05-29 | 0.623 ppm | |
| 2018-08-09 | 1.38 ppm | |
| 2018-08-09 | 1.08 ppm | |
| 2018-08-09 | 2.14 ppm | |
| 2018-08-09 | 2.19 ppm | |
| 2018-08-09 | 2.18 ppm | |
| 2018-08-21 | 0.731 ppm | |
| 2019-08-29 | 0.625 ppm | |
| 2019-08-29 | 0.661 ppm | |
| 2019-08-29 | 0.571 ppm | |
| 2019-08-29 | 0.736 ppm | |
| 2019-08-29 | 0.968 ppm | |
| 2019-08-29 | 2.43 ppm | |
| 2019-08-29 | 1.18 ppm | |
| 2019-08-29 | 0.975 ppm | |
| 2019-08-29 | 0.728 ppm |