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Nebraska Tap Water Quality 2026

EPA drinking water data for 480 cities across Nebraska — covering lead levels, violation history, and compliance status.

Systems tracked: 466 Cities covered: 480 Updated: 2026 Q2
B

Nebraska earns a B for overall water quality

480 communities across 90 counties and 466 water systems. 99.8% have no open violations.

Median lead where detected: 2.00 ppb
17.7% of systems report lead as not detected — a state filing convention, not a water quality measure
PFAS tested at 11.5% of communities; 3 above the federal limit
Lead reported for 100.0% of communities
99.8% of communities have no open violations
Water Systems
466
Active community systems
Median Lead Level
2 ppb
13% of EPA action level
Fully Compliant
99.8%
of systems — no active violations
How we grade states Grades are based on actual EPA enforcement data — MCL violations and lead levels measured against the 15 ppb federal action level. We do not use MCLG-based detections, which are aspirational zero-tolerance goals that would make nearly every state look dangerous. Read our full methodology →

Best & Worst Cities in Nebraska

✓ Cleanest Water
Barada
Richardson County
5.0 ppb B
Lincoln
Lancaster County
4.5 ppb A
Alliance
Box Butte County
1.0 ppb A
Crete
Saline County
1.6 ppb B
Sidney
Cheyenne County
2.1 ppb A
Broken Bow
Custer County
2.2 ppb A
⚠ Needs Attention
North Platte
Lincoln County
7.6 ppb D
Battle Creek
Madison County
0.0 ppb D
Gibbon
Buffalo County
17.9 ppb D
Pleasant Dale
Seward County
43.8 ppb D
Allen
Dixon County
8.4 ppb D
Polk
Polk County
2.9 ppb D

Water Quality by County

90 of 90
Sort:
CountySystemsLead LevelViolationsGrade
Lancaster County 17 1.9 ppb 0 B
Cass County 15 2.8 ppb 0 B
Saunders County 14 1.7 ppb 0 B
Gage County 12 1.7 ppb 0 B
Thayer County 11 2.3 ppb 0 B
Cedar County 11 1.9 ppb 0 B
Custer County 10 2.2 ppb 0 B
Buffalo County 10 3.6 ppb 0 B
Seward County 10 1.9 ppb 0 B
Jefferson County 9 2.6 ppb 0 B

About Nebraska Drinking Water

Nebraska is served by 466 community water systems covering 480 communities across 90 counties. 99.8% have no open violation on record.

Lead was detected in 395 communities, with a median of 2.00 ppb — 13% of the federal action level. A further 85 reported none detected. That share is a state reporting convention rather than a measure of water quality, so it is stated separately rather than averaged in.

PFAS has been tested at 11.5% of communities here, and 3 are above the limits EPA set in 2024. Coverage matters: states that test more find more, so this figure is not comparable with a state that has tested less.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Nebraska tap water safe to drink? ▼
99.8% of communities have no open violation on record. 3 have PFAS above the federal limit set in 2024, which is the main open concern.
Does Nebraska have a lead problem? ▼
2 water systems report a 90th-percentile lead result at or above the 15 ppb action level. The action level is a treatment trigger, not a legal maximum, and 85 communities report no detection at all.
How complete is the data for Nebraska? ▼
Lead results are reported for 100.0% of communities and PFAS for 11.5%. Where a figure is missing it is shown as not reported rather than assumed safe.
How does Nebraska compare with other states? ▼
We do not rank states against each other. Lead reporting completeness ranges from under 20% to 100% depending on the state, so a national ranking would compare filing practice rather than water quality.