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PUBLIC NOTICE <br /> NITRATE (NO3) <br /> INTRODUCTION <br /> The water agency may describe the water system and current status of sources that <br /> exceed the MCL. A summary of the results of sampling should be presented. <br /> PUBLIC NOTICE <br /> (1 ) FOR Nitrate. "The California Department of Health Services (DHS) sets drinking <br /> water standards and has determined that nitrate poses an acute health concern at <br /> certain levels of exposure. Nitrate is used in fertilizer and is found in sewage and <br /> wastes from human and/or farm animals and generally gets into drinking water from <br /> those activities. Excessive levels of nitrate in drinking water have caused serious <br /> illness and sometimes death in infants under six months of age. The serious illness <br /> in infants is caused because nitrate is converted to nitrite in the -body. Nitrite <br /> interferes with the oxygen carrying capacity of the child's blood. This is an acute <br /> disease in that symptoms can develop rapidly in infants. In most cases, health <br />€ deteriorates over a period of days. Symptoms include shortness of breath and <br /> blueness of the skin. Clearly, expert medical advice should be sought immediately <br /> if these symptoms occur. The purpose of this notice is to encourage parents and <br /> other responsible parties to provide infants with an alternative source of drinking <br /> water for infants. DHS has set the drinking water standard at 10 parts per million <br /> (ppm) nitrate as nitrogen, (equivalent to the 45 ppm nitrate as nitrate drinking water <br /> standard) to protect against the risk of these adverse effects. DHS has also set a <br /> drinking water standard for nitrite at 1 ppm to allow for the fact that the toxicity of <br /> nitrate and nitrite are additive. DHS has also established a standard for the sum of <br /> nitrate and nitrite as 10 ppm as nitrogen. Drinking water that meets the DHS <br /> standard is associated with little to none of the risk and is considered safe with <br /> respect to nitrate." <br /> ENDING <br /> The water agency should then describe their plans for bringing the water system into <br /> compliance. { <br /> i <br />