Nitrate CA

Nitrate in Drinking Water - Riverside Public Utilities, CA

Riverside Public Utilities · Mira Loma, CA · 298,398 people served

5.5 mg/L

Highest Level Detected

10 mg/L

EPA Limit

High

Health Risk Level

ZIP Codes Served

298,398

People Served

Reverse Osmosis or Ion Exchange

Best Filter Method

Data: EPA SDWIS, ECHO, 2023 Consumer Confidence Report

Medical Disclaimer: This page provides environmental data and general health information from EPA and CDC sources. It is not medical advice. If you have health concerns related to your drinking water, consult a healthcare provider.

Nitrate Data for Riverside Public Utilities

In the pinned CCR corpus used for this correction, the matched entries support one comparable condition-level measurement: 5.5 mg/L against a reported reference of 10 mg/L. Source violation flags are shown separately below.

Matched Source Entries

Contaminant	Reported Level	Reported MCL	Reported Unit	Source Violation Flag	Review Status
Nitrate (as nitrogen, N)	5.5	10	mg/L	false	Comparable entry

Source violation flags are preserved as reported fields and have not been independently reconciled.

Health Effects of Nitrate

Nitrate above 10 mg/L is acutely dangerous for infants under 6 months old, causing methemoglobinemia ("blue baby syndrome") — a condition where nitrate reduces the blood's ability to carry oxygen. Symptoms include bluish skin, shortness of breath, and in severe cases, death. In adults, long-term nitrate exposure is associated with increased risk of colorectal cancer, thyroid disease, and neural tube birth defects. Agricultural runoff is the primary source of nitrate contamination.

Source: CDC — Nitrate and Drinking Water from Private Wells; EPA.

EPA Standard

The EPA maximum contaminant level (MCL) for nitrate is 10 mg/L (as nitrogen), governed by the National Primary Drinking Water Regulations. Water systems that exceed this limit must notify consumers and take corrective action.

What You Can Do

If you have an infant, do NOT use tap water for formula preparation if nitrate exceeds 10 mg/L
Install a reverse osmosis system — the most effective household nitrate removal method
Ion exchange filters are also effective for nitrate removal
Do NOT boil water to remove nitrate — boiling concentrates it and makes it worse
Standard carbon filters and water softeners do NOT remove nitrate
If on a private well near agricultural land, test at least annually

Recommended Water Filters

The most effective treatment for nitrate removal is Reverse Osmosis or Ion Exchange.

Filter Type	Effectiveness	NSF Standard	Notes
Reverse Osmosis (RO)	90-95%	NSF 58	Most reliable home treatment for nitrate
Ion Exchange	90-95%	NSF 53	Effective but may release other ions; requires regular regeneration
Distillation	95%+	NSF 62	Effective but slow and energy-intensive

ZIP Codes Served by This System

Check water quality for your specific ZIP code:

Related Resources

Detected Levels

Contaminant	Level Detected	EPA Limit	Status
Nitrate (as nitrogen, N)	5.5 mg/L	10 mg/L	Within Limit

Recommended Water Filters

The most effective treatment for nitrate removal is Reverse Osmosis or Ion Exchange.

Filter Type	Effectiveness	NSF Standard	Notes
Reverse Osmosis (RO)	90-95%	NSF 58	Most reliable home treatment for nitrate
Ion Exchange	90-95%	NSF 53	Effective but may release other ions; requires regular regeneration
Distillation	95%+	NSF 62	Effective but slow and energy-intensive

ZIP Codes Served by This System

91752 92501 92502 92503 92504 92505 92506 92507 92508 92509 92513 92514 92515 92516 92517 92519 92521 92522

Full Water System Profile: See all contaminants, violations, and lead levels for Riverside Public Utilities.

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