The Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy (NDEE) Drinking Water Program is dedicated to assisting public water systems in providing safe, reliable drinking water for their consumers.

From department engineers who approve construction projects, to field staff who inspect water systems, and water specialists who monitor water testing, the department ensures that public water consumers have drinking water that meets all state and federal standards.

Providing reliable, up-to-date water quality data is also a critical component of NDEE’s commitment to transparency. For that, the department relies on Drinking Water Watch, which is a publicly accessible database that houses information on sample schedules and results, violations and enforcement actions, treatment technologies, populations served, water source, and public water system contact information for all public water systems in Nebraska. This information is regularly updated to reflect changes in Nebraska’s public water systems.

The database is searchable by water system name or principal county served. Once the desired public water system is selected, users can access current and historical data from sample results across a spectrum of analytes that includes coliform, nitrate, and lead and copper among many others. Users can also view violations or enforcement actions that may have resulted from a sample result that was reported above the Maximum Contaminant Level.

Drinking Water Watch excels in its ability to deliver detailed water quality data and scheduling information for specific sample results, but public water system users interested in reviewing a comprehensive water quality report should request a consumer confidence report from their public water system. Under Title 179 – Public Water Systems, NDEE requires public water systems to compose a consumer confidence report annually.

With this article, NDEE is concluding its All About Drinking Water series. Previously, the series offered a broad overview of the state’s Drinking Water Program, discussed the role NDEE’s Drinking Water Engineers play when a new system goes online, covered the training drinking water operators are required to complete, explained the monitoring and testing PWSs are required to conduct, outlined the ways the Field Services team helps PWSs face-to-face, and detailed the Return to Compliance process.