The Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy recommends private drinking water well owners sample their wells annually to know their drinking water quality.

While NDEE does not have regulatory authority to monitor and test private drinking water wells, annual sampling can give well owners a clear picture of their drinking water and allow them to make informed decisions about their water sources. NDEE recommends sampling wells in the spring and to avoid sampling in the summer, but well owners can sample whenever works for them. Sampling should be conducted around the same time each year.

During annual sampling, it's recommended that private well owners check for the presence of bacteria and nitrate. Well owners who are interested in sampling their wells can request sample kits from the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services online. Bacteria sample kits cost $17, and nitrate test kits cost $16. You can view a full price list on the Nebraska Public Health Environmental Lab’s website.

The lab will test for the presence of coliform bacteria. Coliform are a group of bacteria found in the digestive tracts of both humans and animals. There are several types of coliform; some are beneficial and help with digestion and others, like E. coli, may cause gastrointestinal distress and illness.

If a drinking water sample shows the presence of coliform bacteria of any kind, it suggests there may be structural issues with the well or a source of contamination nearby. In the short term, water can be boiled for one minute to kill the bacteria before the water is used for drinking and food preparation. A certified well contractor should inspect the well as soon as possible to address the issue.

Nitrate is naturally occurring in the environment but is also found in fertilizers and animal and human waste. Its presence in drinking water is the result of runoff and subsequent contamination of the drinking water source. If a well is high in nitrate, do not boil the water because this will cause some of the water to evaporate and concentrate the nitrate that remain in the water.

Formula-fed infants as well as children and adults with anemia, cardiovascular disease, sepsis or other metabolic disorders or diseases have difficulty breaking down nitrate if it’s present at high levels. Nitrate that isn’t processed effectively by the body can interfere with oxygen absorption, decrease blood pressure, increase heart rate and result in serious illness, especially for formula-fed infants.

The Environmental Protection Agency’s drinking water standard for nitrate in public water supplies is 10 milligrams per liter (mg/L). That same level is used to provide guidance to private well owners, however, these wells are not regulated by the EPA or NDEE.

If a private well sample shows nitrate above 10 mg/L, NDEE recommends locating an alternate drinking water source or installing in-home treatment such as distillation, reverse osmosis or ion exchange. Boiling water before use will not remove nitrate.

By sampling private drinking water wells annually, well owners can understand their well conditions and make informed decisions on their drinking water.