Nitrate in Drinking Water Study
The Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy (NDEE) has released a report following the completion of the Nebraska Nitrate in Drinking Water Study.
Funding for the study came from the passage of LB 814 during the 2023 legislative session, at the request of Gov. Jim Pillen. The goal of this study was to provide an analysis and recommend viable solutions for nitrate-affected drinking water, including private domestic wells, which are not regulated by the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA). This study focuses on nitrate in groundwater being used for drinking water.
In addition to the final report, NDEE has developed tools and resources related to the study, including:
- A Geographic Information System (GIS) predictive nitrate groundwater concentration model
- An interactive, web-based GIS tool for NDEE and resource partners to assess nitrate risk for private domestic wells
- A nitrate outreach toolbox and guidance documents
- Additional private domestic well nitrate data from the 2023-2024 free sampling effort
- A public water system assistance ranking system to target outreach and funding
- Nitrate summary reports available to community water systems to show trends in their source water
The key resources and outputs from the study, including the final report, are provided in the files below. If you have a private domestic well and want to test your well for nitrate and/or bacteria, request a kit from the Department of Health and Human Services’ Public Health Environmental Lab: https://www.nebraska.gov/dhhs/water-test-kits/private.html. Nitrate sample kits cost $16, and coliform bacteria sample kits cost up to $17.
The study includes nitrate sampling data from public water systems, the Nebraska Groundwater Clearinghouse, and from private domestic well owners who agreed to participate in the agency’s free sampling effort that began in November 2023 and ended March 1, 2024. Nearly 3,500 test kits were returned for analysis and inclusion in the study, making this the largest private domestic well nitrate sampling effort in state history.
NDEE is working to get the 2023-2024 Free Nitrate Sampling data uploaded to the Nebraska Groundwater Clearinghouse. The Nebraska Groundwater Clearinghouse is located here: https://clearinghouse.nebraska.gov/Clearinghouse.aspx.