Nitrate
City of Scottsdale
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 | 1.36 ppm | 20 | 18 | ND - 5.00 ppm |
| 2015 | 1.71 ppm | 20 | 19 | ND - 6.70 ppm |
| 2016 | 1.28 ppm | 19 | 14 | ND - 7.00 ppm |
| 2017 | 1.54 ppm | 19 | 17 | ND - 5.00 ppm |
| 2018 | 1.56 ppm | 21 | 20 | ND - 6.40 ppm |
| 2019 | 1.68 ppm | 19 | 16 | ND - 5.70 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2014-02-05 | AB45659I | 0.200 ppm |
| 2014-02-05 | AB45660I | 4.00 ppm |
| 2014-02-05 | AB45661I | 1.10 ppm |
| 2014-02-05 | AB45662I | 0.300 ppm |
| 2014-02-11 | AB45852I | 0.500 ppm |
| 2014-02-12 | AB45865I | 0.800 ppm |
| 2014-02-13 | AB45912I | 0.600 ppm |
| 2014-02-13 | AB45913I | 0.500 ppm |
| 2014-03-13 | AB46644I | 0.900 ppm |
| 2014-03-20 | AB46840 | 0.400 ppm |
| 2014-05-19 | AB48245 | 0.200 ppm |
| 2014-06-12 | 4061175-01 | 3.71 ppm |
| 2014-06-12 | 4061176-01 | ND |
| 2014-08-05 | AB49909 | 0.200 ppm |
| 2014-08-05 | AB49916I | 4.80 ppm |
| 2014-08-06 | 4080551-02T | ND |
| 2014-08-27 | AB50551I | 1.80 ppm |
| 2014-11-10 | AB52409 | 1.90 ppm |
| 2014-11-18 | AB52684 | 5.00 ppm |
| 2014-12-16 | AB53280 | 0.200 ppm |
| 2015-01-13 | AB53830 | 0.600 ppm |
| 2015-01-13 | AB53831 | 0.900 ppm |
| 2015-01-26 | AB54180 | 4.90 ppm |
| 2015-02-02 | AB54393 | 0.600 ppm |
| 2015-03-04 | AB55247I | 0.400 ppm |
| 2015-03-10 | AB55391 | 6.70 ppm |
| 2015-05-19 | AB57086 | 0.300 ppm |
| 2015-05-19 | AB57090 | 6.40 ppm |
| 2015-06-15 | AB57584 | ND |
| 2015-07-22 | AB58586I | 6.40 ppm |
| 2015-07-23 | AB58593 | 0.400 ppm |
| 2015-07-28 | AB58723I | 1.70 ppm |
| 2015-08-19 | AB59356 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2015-08-19 | AB59362 | 0.900 ppm |
| 2015-09-03 | AB59827 | 0.300 ppm |
| 2015-09-22 | AB60300 | 0.400 ppm |
| 2015-10-05 | AB60548 | 0.400 ppm |
| 2015-11-11 | AB61680I | 1.40 ppm |
| 2015-12-07 | AB62200I | 0.300 ppm |
| 2015-12-10 | AB62312 | 0.500 ppm |
| 2016-01-12 | AB62917J | 0.200 ppm |
| 2016-02-01 | AB63370 | 0.500 ppm |
| 2016-02-10 | AB63646 | 0.300 ppm |
| 2016-02-11 | AB63672 | 1.000 ppm |
| 2016-03-07 | AB64246J | 6.00 ppm |
| 2016-03-07 | AB64247J | 0.300 ppm |
| 2016-03-24 | AB64751 | 0.500 ppm |
| 2016-05-12 | AB66038 | 0.300 ppm |
| 2016-06-09 | AB66660 | 5.80 ppm |
| 2016-06-09 | AB66662 | ND |
| 2016-08-22 | AB68510I | 7.00 ppm |
| 2016-08-25 | AB68595I | 1.000 ppm |
| 2016-08-31 | AB68676 | ND |
| 2016-08-31 | AB68679I | ND |
| 2016-09-14 | AB69048I | 0.600 ppm |
| 2016-09-22 | AB69265I | 0.400 ppm |
| 2016-10-03 | AB69504 | ND |
| 2016-12-06 | AB71090I | ND |
| 2016-12-27 | AB71582 | 0.400 ppm |
| 2017-01-23 | AB72209T | 1.10 ppm |
| 2017-01-31 | AB72396T | ND |
| 2017-01-31 | AB72398T | 5.00 ppm |
| 2017-03-13 | AB73529T | 2.00 ppm |
| 2017-04-11 | AB74281 | 0.500 ppm |
| 2017-04-18 | AZ74456 | 0.500 ppm |
| 2017-05-03 | AB74952 | 0.500 ppm |
| 2017-05-03 | AB74954 | 0.600 ppm |
| 2017-05-08 | AB75126 | 0.300 ppm |
| 2017-05-11 | AB75252 | 0.300 ppm |
| 2017-05-25 | AB75560 | 0.300 ppm |
| 2017-06-29 | AB76529 | 4.40 ppm |
| 2017-06-29 | AB76530 | 1.40 ppm |
| 2017-07-10 | AB76769 | 4.40 ppm |
| 2017-07-10 | AB76770 | 1.30 ppm |
| 2017-07-31 | AB77482 | ND |
| 2017-10-09 | AB79597 | 0.200 ppm |
| 2017-10-10 | AB79627 | 1.70 ppm |
| 2017-11-01 | AB80342 | 4.80 ppm |
| 2018-01-04 | AB81857 | 0.200 ppm |
| 2018-01-08 | AB1930 | 0.300 ppm |
| 2018-01-08 | AB81931 | 0.300 ppm |
| 2018-01-31 | AB82425 | 6.40 ppm |
| 2018-03-15 | AB83542 | 1.000 ppm |
| 2018-04-04 | AB84098 | 4.40 ppm |
| 2018-04-09 | AB84209 | 2.10 ppm |
| 2018-05-02 | AB84754 | 0.300 ppm |
| 2018-07-05 | AB86407 | ND |
| 2018-07-24 | AB86878 | 0.500 ppm |
| 2018-07-26 | AB86975 | 0.600 ppm |
| 2018-07-31 | AB87063 | 0.500 ppm |
| 2018-08-06 | AB87230 | 5.40 ppm |
| 2018-08-06 | AB87231 | 1.50 ppm |
| 2018-08-22 | AB87651 | 1.000 ppm |
| 2018-09-13 | AB88206 IOC | 0.200 ppm |
| 2018-10-08 | 550-111300-1 | 0.750 ppm |
| 2018-10-08 | AB88718 IOC | 0.750 ppm |
| 2018-10-15 | AB88912 | 0.200 ppm |
| 2018-10-16 | AB88953 IOC | 1.40 ppm |
| 2018-10-29 | AB89281 | 5.00 ppm |
| 2019-01-08 | AB90901 IOC | 0.600 ppm |
| 2019-01-28 | AB91381 IOC | ND |
| 2019-02-20 | AB91936 IOC | 5.70 ppm |
| 2019-02-21 | AB91994 IOC | 0.300 ppm |
| 2019-03-07 | AB92368 IOC | 4.40 ppm |
| 2019-03-08 | AB92407 IOC | 0.600 ppm |
| 2019-03-14 | AB92537 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2019-05-02 | AB93700 | 0.300 ppm |
| 2019-05-15 | AB93968 | 0.600 ppm |
| 2019-05-21 | AB94088 | 4.50 ppm |
| 2019-05-21 | AB94089 | ND |
| 2019-06-20 | AB94661 | 0.300 ppm |
| 2019-07-31 | AB95580 | 0.200 ppm |
| 2019-08-19 | AB96016 | 4.50 ppm |
| 2019-08-19 | AB96017 | 1.50 ppm |
| 2019-08-22 | AB96146 | 1.000 ppm |
| 2019-10-07 | AB97345 | ND |
| 2019-10-29 | AB98015 | 4.80 ppm |
| 2019-10-29 | AB98016 | 1.90 ppm |