Nitrate

Fitchburg Utility District 1

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

Samples

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

Year	Average result	Samples taken	Detections	Range of results
2013	N/A	0	0	N/A
2014	ND	4	0	ND
2015	0.0275 ppm	4	1	ND - 0.110 ppm
2016	0.513 ppm	4	4	0.0220 ppm - 1.80 ppm
2017	N/A	0	0	N/A
2018	0.0198 ppm	4	1	ND - 0.0790 ppm
2019	0.0198 ppm	4	1	ND - 0.0790 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
2014-08-19	152074001	ND
2014-08-19	152041003	ND
2014-08-19	152041001	ND
2014-08-19	152041002	ND
2015-07-30	35199919001-2	ND
2015-07-30	35199919003-2	ND
2015-07-30	35199919002-2	0.110 ppm
2015-09-09	35206535001-2	ND
2016-08-17	939979	0.150 ppm
2016-08-17	939977	1.80 ppm
2016-08-17	939983	0.0810 ppm
2016-08-17	939981	0.0220 ppm
2018-07-26	1069931	ND
2018-07-26	1069934	ND
2018-07-26	1069935	ND
2018-07-26	1069932	0.0790 ppm
2019-07-24	1136901	ND
2019-07-24	1136904	ND
2019-07-24	1136905	ND
2019-07-24	1136902	0.0790 ppm