EPA Code 1040 · Maximum Contaminant Level Exceedance
violation
EPA Limit
10 mg/L
Last Reading
14.9 MG/L
First Reported
Apr 2021
Most Recent
Apr 2021
What this violation means
Nitrate contamination is most acute in agricultural regions where fertilizer and animal waste leach into groundwater. The immediate risk is to formula-fed infants under 6 months — high nitrate levels prevent their blood from carrying oxygen, causing 'blue baby syndrome.' Pregnant women should also avoid high-nitrate water.
Recommended precautions
- →Never give untreated high-nitrate water to infants — use bottled water for formula.
- →Boiling does NOT remove nitrate. Boiling concentrates it.
- →Reverse osmosis, ion exchange, or distillation are the only effective home treatments.
- →Private well owners in farming areas should test annually for nitrate.