How have nitrates affected my community?

May 13, 2010 | Julia Scott, California Watch

Is the water in my area contaminated?

The State Water Resources Control Board recently released a public search tool that tracks groundwater contamination in private and public wells across the state. It includes data from the California Department of Public Health, Department of Water Resources, Department of Pesticide Regulation, the U.S. Geological Survey, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and state and regional water boards.

  • Enter your address and the website will bring up a map with well results within several miles of your home. You can zoom in and out. The website will not give a specific well location, but will situate it within one square mile.
  • To search by contaminant, such as nitrates, click on “All wells that have been sampled” and change the listing to “Wells with results.” Choose nitrates (“Nitrate as NO3”).
  • The maximum contaminant level (MCL) for nitrates is 45 milligrams per liter (mg/l). If the well has exceeded the limit, the well will turn red. If it is in the danger zone, the well will be orange.
  • Click on the well to pull up a history of test results, which can be viewed as a graph or list.

How do I get my water tested for nitrates?

If your home is supplied by a private well and you are concerned about nitrates, getting the water tested is your responsibility. Maybe your community is connected to a public water system and you think your tap water merits further testing. The Department of Public Health provides a list of certified laboratories. Nitrate testing can cost as little as $15. Laboratories often provide their own containers and a set of instructions on how to take the sample yourself, but some laboratories send technicians to your home to do the sampling.

  • Go online and look for the “Certified Laboratory List”.
  • E-mail the Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program,
  • Call the main office at 510.620-3155.

How do I get information on my water?

If you get a monthly bill for your tap water (or your landlord does), you are probably served by a public water system. Schools and mobile home parks can also qualify as public water systems if they provide their own water. The Safe Drinking Water Act requires public water systems to notify customers as soon as possible if tests detect nitrate problems. Landlords, schools and businesses are required by law to post the information in a public place.

Whether your water provider is a city or a private company, they are also required to send each customer an annual consumer confidence report that summarizes system-wide, water-quality test results and describes where your water comes from. Consumer confidence reports often do not reach renters, however. A water system serving 100,000 customers or more is required to make its consumer confidence reports available online.

It’s easy to learn about what’s in your water.

  • Contact the number or address on your monthly water bill and ask for the latest water-quality information in your area.
  • Contact your local department of public health office and request the information you need, including consumer confidence reports. Find the office closest to you online.
  • If you live in a rural area with fewer than 200 water connections, your water system is likely regulated by your county department of environmental health.
    • Find a partial listing of administrators for each county department of environmental health online.

Who do I contact if I have a nitrate problem?

The first step is to try to find out what is causing your contamination.

If you are on a public water system, urge your water system to investigate the source of the pollution. Contact your local department of public health office or your county department of environmental health and ask them to investigate. Attend your local water board meeting.

If you are on a private well, find out if others in your area have the same problem and form a citizen group.

Many organizations exist to help communities and individuals overcome nitrate problems.

  • Self-Help Enterprises helps Central Valley families obtain grants and loans to rehabilitate private or community wells, install treatment devices, or dig a new well.
  • The Environmental Justice Coalition for Water helps communities across California advocate for clean water and find funding for local solutions.
    • Online
    • E-mail debbie@ejcw.org, in Northern California, or miriam@ejcw.org, in Southern California
    • Call 510.286-8400, in Northern California, or 310.829-1229 x221, in Southern California
  • The Community Water Center educates small and disadvantaged communities across the San Joaquin Valley about clean water and helps them advocate for change.
  • If you are unsure of who to contact, the state Water Resources Control Board Office of Public Participation is a good place to start with your questions and concerns.

I want to buy a home water filter for nitrates. Where do I start?

The Department of Public Health’s Drinking Water Program has a list of certified residential water treatment devices that actually remove or reduce contaminants. These devices use reverse osmosis technology to remove nitrates and generally start at $160 per unit.

  • Go online and click on “2009 Directory of Certified Water Treatment Devices.”
  • Call the Drinking Water Program at 916.449-5600.

Where can I learn more about the health effects of nitrates?

The California Department of Public Health has a useful fact sheet on nitrates.

The Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment established its “Public Health Goals” for nitrates in 1997 and gives details on health impacts here (pdf).

How can I help make changes in Sacramento and at home?

Nitrate contamination is largely attributable to farming practices. The state Assembly Committee on Agriculture and the state Senate Committee on Food and Agriculture help set the agenda on these issues.

Preventing nitrate contamination is the responsibility of the State Water Resources Control Board and each of its Regional Water Quality Control Boards, which set policy for their respective state regions. Each regional board Regional Board has at least five  board members and an executive officer who are accountable to the public.

Find out which water board region you live in and how to contact their offices.

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