Nitrate

Status: National drinking water standard exists

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.

2017-2019:

FOUND

FOUND ABOVE HEALTH GUIDELINES

FOUND ABOVE LEGAL LIMIT

states detected

27,532

utilities detected

237 million

people served

states over health guideline

21,822

utilities over health guideline

187 million

people served over health guideline

states over legal limit

utilities over legal limit

64,268

people served over legal limit

Health concerns for nitrate

Cancer

Harm to fetal growth and child development

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

States reporting nitrate in drinking water

	UTILITIES REPORTING ABOVE HEALTH GUIDELINES			UTILITIES WITH CONTAMINATION
State	Utilities	People Served		Utilities	People Served
California		1,814	29,057,982			1,965	33,218,925
Texas		2,090	22,760,998			4,070	27,573,636
New York		1,478	9,068,977			1,819	20,220,337
Florida		750	7,212,451			1,197	18,203,829
Pennsylvania		1,250	9,942,242			1,370	10,292,661
Illinois		897	9,116,639			1,179	9,031,646
Ohio		592	8,442,317			710	8,994,927
New Jersey		324	6,426,280			386	7,435,844
Tennessee		347	5,599,430			369	6,588,602
Arizona		670	6,335,603			691	6,397,771
Massachusetts		384	5,243,156			481	6,388,056
Colorado		497	1,588,720			756	5,797,066
Alabama		352	4,690,879			444	5,421,636
Washington		1,385	4,927,620			1,642	5,313,291
Michigan		321	4,821,438			338	4,949,759
Maryland		181	4,457,648			200	4,794,833
Kentucky		314	4,082,731			348	4,158,332
Indiana		368	3,691,016			426	4,093,512
South Carolina		324	1,972,116			440	3,713,156
Wisconsin		534	2,906,392			784	3,529,157
Oregon		502	2,052,583			658	3,470,007
Minnesota		406	2,495,644			526	3,365,008
Utah		386	3,007,153			427	3,213,550
Kansas		808	2,862,419			813	2,854,358
Virginia		134	2,394,491			135	2,850,384
Missouri		89	2,791,690			90	2,810,287
Nevada		153	2,784,773			168	2,792,497
Connecticut		362	2,014,841			475	2,694,747
Iowa		692	2,214,030			772	2,349,857
North Carolina		776	1,300,987			800	1,873,919
West Virginia		382	1,460,698			396	1,530,640
Hawaii		84	1,447,379			89	1,458,204
Oklahoma		118	1,188,681			115	1,186,756
Idaho		529	1,030,618			579	1,082,424
Mississippi		151	654,105			232	961,374
Rhode Island		64	507,156			82	937,647
Delaware		101	865,434			109	882,778
District Of Columbia		4	664,572			4	664,572
Georgia		48	577,282			65	636,994
Arkansas		126	461,694			138	592,083
Maine		174	165,031			230	455,673
South Dakota		140	397,604			148	425,029
New Hampshire		230	362,879			274	410,625
Alaska		85	342,162			88	344,729
Vermont		208	267,806			270	317,534
Louisiana		21	293,796			25	313,227
Montana		121	185,659			154	190,803
Wyoming		24	110,385			22	108,930
North Dakota		31	46,365			32	52,881
Nebraska		1	40			1	40

LESS

Filtering technologies that reduce nitrate

Utilities with the highest amounts of nitrate, 2017-2019

ALL UTILITIES

LARGE UTILITIES

Utility	Location	Tests	Average level	People served
River Rd. Ws #25	Gonzales, CA	6 of 6	39.1 ppm	65
Eola Water Supply Corporation	Eola, TX	23 of 23	36.5 ppm	165
Apple Ave. Ws #03	Greenfield, CA	25 of 26	30.7 ppm	60
Winterhaven County Water District	Winterhaven, CA	2 of 2	28.0 ppm	660
Diomede Joint Utilities	Little Diomede, AK	1 of 1	25.0 ppm	184
Rodriguez Labor Camp	Delano, CA	22 of 22	24.8 ppm	110
El Camino Water Company Inc.	Spreckels, CA	24 of 24	21.6 ppm	90
Pretty Prairie, City of	Pretty Prairie, KS	28 of 28	20.2 ppm	653
San Miguel Ws #01	Royal Oaks, CA	27 of 27	18.5 ppm	100
Sierra Mutual Water Company	Porterville, CA	40 of 40	18.5 ppm	39
Turkey Municipal Water System*	Turkey, TX	24 of 24	17.2 ppm	421
Beverly Grand Mutual Water	Arroyo Grande, CA	22 of 22	17.1 ppm	108
M & J Trailer Home Community	Sandy, UT	2 of 2	16.7 ppm	27
Greenwood Terrace Mobile Home Subdivision	Las Cruces, TX	24 of 24	16.5 ppm	120
Whitharral Water Supply Corporation	Whitharral, TX	24 of 24	16.5 ppm	200
Lake Morena Views Mw Company	Campo, CA	81 of 81	16.4 ppm	360
Okarche Rural Water District Inc.	Okarche, OK	1 of 1	16.2 ppm	250
Iverson & Jacks Apartments Ws	Salinas, CA	11 of 11	16.0 ppm	150
Lemon Cove Water Company	Lemon Cove, CA	17 of 17	15.9 ppm	200
Son Shine Properties	Edison, CA	24 of 24	15.8 ppm	438
Papago Butte Domestic Water Improvement District	Maricopa, AZ	29 of 29	15.6 ppm	500
Northside Water Supply Corporation	Vernon, TX	23 of 24	15.2 ppm	200
South Midland County Water Systems	Kingsland, TX	10 of 10	15.2 ppm	165
Rra Hinds Wildcat Water System	Wichita Falls, TX	24 of 25	15.1 ppm	178
La Verne WD	La Verne, CA	473 of 474	15.1 ppm	32,230
Coxville Water Association #1	Benton City, WA	22 of 22	15.0 ppm	52
Geary*	Geary, OK	3 of 3	15.0 ppm	1,258
Greenfield Public Works Authority	Greenfield, OK	3 of 3	15.0 ppm	123
Wilson Road Water Community	Bakersfield, CA	28 of 28	14.8 ppm	72
San Joaquin Estates Mutual Water Company	Bakersfield, CA	25 of 25	14.3 ppm	165
Soults Mutual Water Company	Tulare, CA	10 of 10	14.3 ppm	120
Rra Guthrie Dumont Water System	Wichita Falls, TX	24 of 24	14.1 ppm	402
Delta Water Association	Lynden, WA	50 of 50	14.1 ppm	450
Grassland Water Supply Corporation	Tahoka, TX	24 of 24	14.0 ppm	55
Hillcrest Mobile Estates	Yucaipa, CA	35 of 35	13.9 ppm	900
Oak Lane Mobile Home Park	Stevens Point, WI	48 of 48	13.8 ppm	40
Klondike Independent School District	Lamesa, TX	24 of 24	13.7 ppm	264
City of Quitaque	Quitaque, TX	24 of 24	13.7 ppm	423
Franklin Water Systems 3	Southlake, TX	90 of 90	13.7 ppm	159
Sherwood Estates Manufactured Townhome C	Midland, TX	25 of 25	13.7 ppm	102
Sierra Vista Association	Delano, CA	24 of 24	13.4 ppm	44
Welch Water Supply Corporation	Welch, TX	24 of 24	13.1 ppm	315
Rainbird Valley Mutual Water Company	Weldon, CA	45 of 45	13.0 ppm	188
City of Dodson	Dodson, TX	23 of 24	12.9 ppm	109
Valley Ford Water Association	Valley Ford, CA	50 of 52	12.9 ppm	40
East Wilson Road Water Company	Bakersfield, CA	24 of 24	12.7 ppm	35
Canyon Dam Mobile Home Park	Odessa, TX	25 of 25	12.7 ppm	108
Thunderbird Farms Domestic Water Improvement District	Maricopa, AZ	36 of 37	12.6 ppm	1,600
Country Village Mobile Home Estates	Midland, TX	36 of 36	12.4 ppm	138
Eaton, Town of	Eaton, CO	1 of 1	12.2 ppm	6,000

* This water utility supplies finished drinking water to at least one other water utility. The purchasing utility is not required to test for or report Nitrate, but it likely has the contaminant in its water supply.

Utility	Location	Tests	Average level	People served
La Verne WD	La Verne, CA	473 of 474	15.1 ppm	32,230
Chelan County PUD 1	Wenatchee, WA	1 of 1	9.17 ppm	14,189
Enid*	Enid, OK	3 of 3	8.87 ppm	49,347
Plover Waterworks	Plover, WI	70 of 70	7.71 ppm	12,420
City of Atwater	Atwater, CA	278 of 278	7.66 ppm	29,050
City of Vernon*	Vernon, TX	26 of 26	7.48 ppm	11,002
City of Wasco	Wasco, CA	319 of 319	7.29 ppm	21,170
Goodyear Water Department*	Goodyear, AZ	120 of 120	7.17 ppm	50,001
San Fernando Water Department	San Fernando, CA	380 of 383	7.13 ppm	23,839
Cedar Falls Municipal Water Utilities	Cedar Falls, IA	133 of 145	7.05 ppm	39,260
Morro Bay PW Department - Water Division	Morro Bay, CA	1154 of 1,221	6.73 ppm	10,327
Johnson Utilities	San Tan Valley, AZ	90 of 90	6.69 ppm	62,158
Florence Water Company	Florence, AZ	34 of 34	6.56 ppm	15,900
Arizona Water Company - Pinal Valley*	Phoenix, AZ	103 of 103	6.44 ppm	88,019
City of Dinuba	Dinuba, CA	283 of 283	6.37 ppm	23,666
Hastings	Hastings, MN	158 of 158	6.29 ppm	22,335
City of Corona*	Corona, CA	4949 of 5,378	6.26 ppm	155,896
City of Chino Hills	Chino Hills, CA	281 of 281	6.25 ppm	75,655
Liberty Water Lpsco*	Avondale, AZ	88 of 88	6.18 ppm	50,045
City of Shafter	Shafter, CA	235 of 236	6.14 ppm	16,928
East Valley Water District	Highland, CA	1048 of 1,056	6.14 ppm	87,000
Riverside Highland Water Company	Grand Terrace, CA	62 of 62	6.09 ppm	14,500
East Hempfield Water Authority	Landisville, PA	144 of 144	6.07 ppm	20,220
Security Waster District	Colorado Springs, CO	93 of 93	6.06 ppm	19,000
City of Ceres	Ceres, CA	300 of 301	6.04 ppm	42,666
Westbury WD	Westbury, NY	483 of 492	6.02 ppm	20,500
City of Lindsay	Lindsay, CA	44 of 44	6.02 ppm	13,445
City of Gilroy	Gilroy, CA	266 of 266	5.99 ppm	39,050
Chippewa Falls Waterworks	Chippewa Falls, WI	27 of 27	5.91 ppm	13,375
Los Angeles CWWD 40, R24, 27,33-Pearblsm*	Alhambra, CA	306 of 312	5.89 ppm	10,557
Loma Linda Power Plant	Loma Linda, CA	39 of 39	5.87 ppm	10,500
Rehoboth Beach Water Department*	Rehoboth Beach, DE	265 of 265	5.87 ppm	30,000
City of Los Banos	Los Banos, CA	222 of 222	5.84 ppm	37,168
Newhall CWD-Newhall	Santa Clarita, CA	25 of 27	5.81 ppm	12,487
California Water Service (CWS) - Los Altos Suburban	San Jose, CA	422 of 422	5.75 ppm	68,404
Golden State Water Company (GSWC) - Norwalk	Rancho Cordova, CA	34 of 34	5.74 ppm	44,466
Waterloo Water Works*	Waterloo, IA	154 of 156	5.72 ppm	70,070
Janesville Water Utility	Janesville, WI	85 of 85	5.66 ppm	62,720
Cherokee MD*	Colorado Springs, CO	51 of 60	5.65 ppm	23,000
City of Turlock*	Turlock, CA	384 of 384	5.63 ppm	64,215
City of McFarland	Mcfarland, CA	25 of 25	5.61 ppm	12,333
City of Ripon	Ripon, CA	143 of 143	5.60 ppm	14,915
Rubidoux Community SD	Rubidoux, CA	367 of 367	5.59 ppm	26,150
Cal/Am Water Company - San Marino	Rosemead, CA	627 of 631	5.58 ppm	40,804
City of Grandview	Grandview, WA	482 of 539	5.57 ppm	11,010
City of Manteca	Manteca, CA	1576 of 1,577	5.56 ppm	66,451
City of Newman Water Department	Newman, CA	77 of 78	5.47 ppm	10,586
Glen Cove City	Glen Cove, NY	162 of 163	5.46 ppm	28,000
Ottumwa Water Works*	Ottumwa, IA	53 of 53	5.44 ppm	25,023
City of Mountain View	Mountain View, CA	74 of 74	5.42 ppm	76,000