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EWG's Tap Water Database — 2021 UPDATE

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Nitrate

Germantown Water Utility

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

 

24

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

10

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2013N/A00N/A
2014N/A00N/A
20150.436 ppm64ND - 1.30 ppm
20160.192 ppm63ND - 0.550 ppm
2017N/A00N/A
20180.314 ppm65ND - 1.30 ppm
20190.276 ppm64ND - 1.10 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
2015-08-31879662ND
2015-08-318796660.0270 ppm
2015-08-318796640.580 ppm
2015-08-318796650.710 ppm
2015-08-318796611.30 ppm
2015-08-31879663ND
2016-03-24911860ND
2016-03-24911861ND
2016-03-24911864ND
2016-03-249118620.180 ppm
2016-03-249118590.420 ppm
2016-03-249118630.550 ppm
2018-02-0510395550.0450 ppm
2018-02-0510395561.30 ppm
2018-02-0510395530.400 ppm
2018-02-0510395540.0770 ppm
2018-02-0510395520.0610 ppm
2018-09-261809-875ND
2019-01-141100983ND
2019-01-141100976ND
2019-01-1411009790.0340 ppm
2019-01-1411009800.110 ppm
2019-01-1411009820.410 ppm
2019-01-1411009751.10 ppm