Menu

EWG's Tap Water Database — 2021 UPDATE

Donate

Nitrate

Bc Water Co.

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.

MORE ABOUT THIS CONTAMINANT

 

127

Samples

38

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

88

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
20149.01 ppm33335.80 ppm - 14.0 ppm
201510.3 ppm36367.50 ppm - 13.7 ppm
20168.22 ppm2217ND - 12.1 ppm
2017ND120ND
2018ND120ND
20190.1000 ppm122ND - 0.700 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
2014-02-21001245.80 ppm
2014-02-21001259.50 ppm
2014-02-21001268.00 ppm
2014-03-28002139.30 ppm
2014-03-28002146.10 ppm
2014-03-28002158.10 ppm
2014-04-25002996.40 ppm
2014-04-250030010.1 ppm
2014-04-25003018.68 ppm
2014-05-30003928.40 ppm
2014-05-30003937.20 ppm
2014-05-30003946.10 ppm
2014-06-27004696.90 ppm
2014-06-270047010.5 ppm
2014-06-27004718.10 ppm
2014-07-31005646.00 ppm
2014-07-310056511.3 ppm
2014-07-31005669.20 ppm
2014-08-280065111.5 ppm
2014-08-28006528.80 ppm
2014-08-28006537.90 ppm
2014-09-300074612.2 ppm
2014-09-30007479.91 ppm
2014-09-30007488.40 ppm
2014-10-23008258.62 ppm
2014-10-230082612.7 ppm
2014-10-23008279.80 ppm
2014-11-250090514.0 ppm
2014-11-25009068.10 ppm
2014-11-250090710.00 ppm
2014-12-120095811.5 ppm
2014-12-12009598.30 ppm
2014-12-12009609.90 ppm
2015-01-230005112.0 ppm
2015-01-23000508.30 ppm
2015-01-23000529.50 ppm
2015-02-270012112.7 ppm
2015-02-27001208.70 ppm
2015-02-27001229.20 ppm
2015-03-24002028.90 ppm
2015-03-24002038.70 ppm
2015-03-24002048.90 ppm
2015-04-28002928.66 ppm
2015-04-28002939.50 ppm
2015-04-28002948.40 ppm
2015-05-26003759.40 ppm
2015-05-260037410.4 ppm
2015-05-26003769.60 ppm
2015-06-24004679.10 ppm
2015-06-24004687.50 ppm
2015-06-24004699.80 ppm
2015-07-300057510.7 ppm
2015-07-30005749.00 ppm
2015-07-30005739.60 ppm
2015-08-27006469.10 ppm
2015-08-270064812.2 ppm
2015-08-270064711.2 ppm
2015-09-220074110.6 ppm
2015-09-220073913.0 ppm
2015-09-220074010.9 ppm
2015-10-290090613.7 ppm
2015-10-290090410.7 ppm
2015-10-290090512.9 ppm
2015-11-300105412.8 ppm
2015-11-300105310.5 ppm
2015-11-300105511.8 ppm
2015-12-290114310.6 ppm
2015-12-290114111.9 ppm
2015-12-290114212.1 ppm
2016-01-2811.1 ppm
2016-01-2810.7 ppm
2016-01-2810.4 ppm
2016-02-299.70 ppm
2016-02-2910.4 ppm
2016-02-2910.8 ppm
2016-02-2910.8 ppm
2016-03-189.80 ppm
2016-04-219.70 ppm
2016-05-22ND
2016-05-2510.00 ppm
2016-06-22ND
2016-06-22ND
2016-06-2812.1 ppm
2016-06-2811.7 ppm
2016-06-2811.6 ppm
2016-07-2611.5 ppm
2016-08-3110.6 ppm
2016-09-288.80 ppm
2016-10-2611.1 ppm
2016-11-16ND
2016-12-22ND
2017-01-24ND
2017-02-24ND
2017-03-29ND
2017-04-27ND
2017-05-26ND
2017-06-23ND
2017-07-24ND
2017-08-22ND
2017-09-28ND
2017-10-27ND
2017-11-28ND
2017-12-15ND
2018-01-16ND
2018-02-22ND
2018-03-27ND
2018-04-24ND
2018-05-30ND
2018-06-18ND
2018-07-25ND
2018-08-28ND
2018-09-24ND
2018-10-31ND
2018-11-28ND
2018-12-17ND
2019-01-16ND
2019-02-26ND
2019-03-21ND
2019-04-18ND
2019-05-28ND
2019-06-25ND
2019-07-23ND
2019-08-20ND
2019-09-240.500 ppm
2019-10-21ND
2019-11-20ND
2019-12-120.700 ppm