Nitrate in Nebraska well water
In Nebraska, 20% of 42,488 tested private well samples exceeded the EPA limit for nitrate (10 mg/L).
Nitrate reaches wells from fertilizer, septic systems and manure. Above the limit it can cause methemoglobinemia (blue baby syndrome) in infants under six months, and long-term exposure is associated with some cancers. Shallow and dug wells near farmland or dense septic systems are most at risk.
Check your nitrate number
Type the value from your lab report. It is compared to the EPA limit, the same way the full interpretation does it.
Test your Nebraska well for nitrate
Certified lab analysis of your own tap water, bottles and prepaid return shipping included. The Essential well panel covers arsenic, uranium, nitrate, lead, copper, manganese, iron, sodium and bacteria; radon and PFAS are add-ons.
Order the Tap Score well water test kit, from $209Already tested? Upload the report
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Systems that remove nitrate
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Some links below are affiliate links. If you buy through one, the merchant pays us a commission at no extra cost to you. It does not change which products we list or what the data says.
For nitrate
Under-sink reverse osmosis system
under-sink or countertop, about $300
Look for NSF/ANSI 58 certification listing the contaminant you need removed.
For nitrate
Aquasana SmartFlow reverse osmosis
under-sink or countertop, about $225
Certified to NSF/ANSI 58 and 53 to reduce arsenic (96%, pentavalent), fluoride (90%), lead (99%), nitrate, nitrite and PFOA/PFOS at the kitchen tap, with a remineralizer.
Rather have it installed and sized for your well? Book a free in-home water test with a licensed local company.
Where to get a well tested for nitrate in Nebraska: certified labs, state programs and prices.
By county, from individual samples
Public monitoring samples against the EPA limit (10 mg/L); counties with at least 30 samples.
| County | Above EPA limit | Samples | Detected | Median | Highest |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Merrick | 794 | 94% | 13.5 | 218 mg/L | |
| Hitchcock | 342 | 100% | 11 | 80 mg/L | |
| Boyd | 67 | 97% | 12 | 177 mg/L | |
| Dixon | 68 | 97% | 8.29 | 131 mg/L | |
| Garden | 718 | 98% | 7.4 | 221 mg/L | |
| Platte | 1,904 | 91% | 7.2 | 176 mg/L | |
| Nance | 1,087 | 98% | 6.4 | 77.1 mg/L | |
| Holt | 875 | 97% | 6.9 | 342 mg/L | |
| Polk | 297 | 98% | 8.07 | 213 mg/L | |
| Nuckolls | 500 | 100% | 8.6 | 100 mg/L | |
| Hamilton | 601 | 96% | 6.3 | 330 mg/L | |
| Red Willow | 539 | 95% | 6.7 | 119 mg/L | |
| Pierce | 245 | 98% | 5.2 | 110 mg/L | |
| Otoe | 247 | 93% | 5.5 | 130 mg/L | |
| Pawnee | 117 | 94% | 4.8 | 233 mg/L |
- Stratton precinct, Hitchcock County86% of 87
- Midland township, Merrick County85% of 41
- Lone Tree township, Merrick County84% of 88
- Driftwood precinct, Red Willow County83% of 116
- Clarksville township, Merrick County83% of 133
- East Newman township, Nance County82% of 152
- Atkinson township, Holt County78% of 131
- Butler township, Platte County78% of 327
- Schuyler precinct, Colfax County75% of 40
- Pleasant Hill precinct, Hitchcock County72% of 103
- Mead township, Merrick County66% of 155
- Prairie Creek township, Nance County66% of 220
- Loup township, Platte County64% of 404
- Jackson township, Hall County60% of 167
- Oshkosh No. 1 precinct, Garden County59% of 419
- Pleasant Valley township, Dodge County58% of 33
- Brule precinct, Keith County58% of 73
- Precinct 29, Buffalo County57% of 96
- Webster township, Dodge County57% of 46
- Wood River township, Hall County56% of 116
Sources
- Individual samples from the USGS Water Quality Portal and state monitoring, summarized per geography. nitrate counts and shares are listed on each county and town page with their sources.
Analysis: Nitrate in private wells, decade by decade, from the same public records.