Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Nitrate and nitrite

Adams Waterworks

Nitrate and nitrite enter water from fertilizer runoff, septic tanks and urban runoff. These contaminants can cause oxygen deprivation for infants and increase the risk of cancer. Nitrite is significantly more toxic than nitrate. Click here to read more about nitrate.

 

10

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

4

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018N/A00N/A
2019N/A00N/A
20200.500 ppm21ND - 1.000 ppm
20210.540 ppm21ND - 1.08 ppm
20220.505 ppm21ND - 1.01 ppm
20230.148 ppm41ND - 0.592 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

ppm = parts per million

All test results

Date Lab ID Result
2020-08-17462470ND
2020-08-174624751.000 ppm
2021-11-09593924001ND
2021-11-095939250011.08 ppm
2022-04-18614468001ND
2022-04-186144700011.01 ppm
2023-06-12683562001ND
2023-06-12683563001ND
2023-06-26685700001ND
2023-06-266856990010.592 ppm