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Nebraska Water Quality

221

Utilities in database

1.6M

Residents served

0

With open violations

48

PFAS monitored

Quick Answer

Nebraska public drinking water is served by 221 EPA-tracked water systems, providing service to approximately 1.6 million residents through public utilities. No open health-based violations are currently recorded across tracked systems in the EPA federal database. 48 systems have official PFAS monitoring records from the EPA UCMR 5 program (2023–2025). About 40% of NE residents use private wells, which fall outside federal utility compliance monitoring.

No open health-based violations are currently recorded in the EPA SDWIS database for Nebraska's tracked water systems. Always verify with your utility's Consumer Confidence Report for annual test results.

Drinking Water in Nebraska

Nebraska has 221 community water systems serving approximately 1.6 million residents. Primary water sources include groundwater. The most commonly reported contaminants include disinfection byproducts, lead, nitrates. 40% of Nebraska residents rely on private wells. DHHS holds primary enforcement authority under the Safe Drinking Water Act.

Utilities in Nebraska

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Key Contaminant Concerns in Nebraska

These contaminants appear most frequently in Nebraska utility records or pose elevated risk in this region based on EPA data.

high

Lead

Lead is a naturally occurring heavy metal that was widely used in plumbing infrastructure until it was banned for new installations in 1986. An estimated 9.2 million lead service lines still connect homes to public water mains across the United States, along with millions of homes with lead solder in their internal plumbing. Critically, a utility's water quality report can show zero detected lead at the treatment plant while your specific tap still delivers elevated lead — because the contamination happens inside the distribution system and your home's plumbing, not at the source.

EPA limit: 15 ppb (action level)

moderate

Nitrates

Nitrate (NO₃⁻) is a nitrogen-containing compound that forms naturally through the decomposition of organic matter. At elevated concentrations — almost always caused by human activity — nitrate is converted in the digestive system to nitrite, which then reacts with hemoglobin to form methemoglobin, a form of hemoglobin that cannot carry oxygen. In the body, nitrite also reacts with amines in food to form N-nitroso compounds (nitrosamines) — known carcinogens classified by the IARC as Group 2A (probable human carcinogens). The United States applies over 23 million tons of nitrogen fertilizer annually, making agricultural runoff the dominant source of nitrate contamination in U.S. groundwater.

EPA limit: 10 mg/L

moderate

DBPs

When utilities add chlorine to water to kill pathogens, it reacts with dissolved organic matter — leaves, algae, soil — to produce disinfection byproducts (DBPs). Over 600 DBPs have been identified. The EPA regulates two groups: total trihalomethanes (TTHMs, including chloroform) and haloacetic acids (HAA5). DBP levels tend to be highest in surface water systems and in warm months when organic matter is elevated.

EPA limit: 80 µg/L (TTHMs) / 60 µg/L (HAA5)

City Water Reports in Nebraska

Tap water quality pages for Nebraska cities — violations, PFAS records, utility profiles, and official source links.

Nebraska PFAS Watchlist — all utilities with official records

Independent Water Testing

Find a certified lab in Nebraska

Utility compliance records show what water systems report to the EPA. An independent test from a certified laboratory confirms what's actually in your tap water. Nebraska labs can test for PFAS, lead, nitrates, bacteria, and dozens of other contaminants.

Explore Water Quality in Nebraska

Common Questions About Nebraska Drinking Water

Nebraska Water FAQs

Data sources: Utility compliance and violation data from EPA SDWIS (Safe Drinking Water Information System). PFAS monitoring records from EPA UCMR 5 (Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule 5, 2023–2025). Contaminant data from EPA and ATSDR public references. This page summarizes public records — it is not a compliance determination. Methodology →

Last updated: 2026-04-22