Nitrate

Town of Ocean City

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
2014	0.420 ppm	3	3	0.395 ppm - 0.450 ppm
2015	0.412 ppm	3	3	0.406 ppm - 0.420 ppm
2016	0.612 ppm	3	3	0.601 ppm - 0.624 ppm
2017	0.403 ppm	3	3	0.390 ppm - 0.420 ppm
2018	ND	3	0	ND
2019	ND	3	0	ND

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
2014-05-08	140508_02_GN-441	0.395 ppm
2014-05-08	140508_03_G-NGOR	0.450 ppm
2014-05-08	140508_01_G-15N1	0.416 ppm
2015-05-11	N15	0.420 ppm
2015-05-11	N44	0.406 ppm
2015-05-11	NGMN	0.411 ppm
2016-05-17	N15	0.611 ppm
2016-05-17	N44	0.601 ppm
2016-05-17	NOMN	0.624 ppm
2017-05-17	0517170C1	0.420 ppm
2017-05-17	0517170C3	0.398 ppm
2017-05-17	0517170C2	0.390 ppm
2018-06-20	OC15N	ND
2018-06-20	OC44N	ND
2018-06-20	OC136N	ND
2019-05-20	0230003_052019_O	ND
2019-05-20	0230003_052019_O	ND
2019-05-20	0230003_052019_O	ND