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Steele City, NE Tap Water Quality 2026

Water quality report for Steele City, NE — PFAS, lead and copper results, violation history and state inspection findings from EPA SDWIS.

A look at Steele City's drinking water using EPA enforcement records: violations, lead and copper results, PFAS sampling and state inspection findings.

Main Utility: Steele City, Village Of PWSID: NE3109502 Updated: 2026 Q2
✅

No federal limits exceeded on record

Lead is 13.50 ppb, 90% of the action level and no violations are open. PFAS has never been sampled at this system.

D

Steele City earns a D for water quality

Graded on violations and lead, with state inspection findings. PFAS not tested.

Lead: 13.50 ppb — 90% of the federal action level
PFAS never sampled at this system
37 violations since 2015, 36 health-based
No violations currently open
Steele City's lead level vs. all Nebraska community water systems
0 ppb5 ppb10 ppb15 ppb
Lead level: 13.50 ppb — 90% of the federal action level
✓ Lower lead than 1% of Nebraska utilities
Population Served
44
~41 connections
Water Source
Groundwater
Drawn from wells — SDWIS source code GW
Active Violations
0
37 since 2015, all resolved

Lead & Copper Testing

Lead (Pb)
90th percentile of tap samples collected across the distribution system
90% of EPA action level
13.50 ppb
Action level: 15 ppb
Copper (Cu)
90th percentile of tap samples. SDWIS reports a copper figure only when a system exceeds the action level, so any value here is an exceedance.
141.9% of EPA action level
1,845 ppb
Action level: 1,300 ppb
The 90th-percentile lead result is 13.50 ppb, 90% of the 15 ppb federal action level. The action level is a treatment trigger, not a legal maximum, and it is measured across sampled taps rather than at any single home. Copper reached the action level here; a copper figure appears in SDWIS only when a system triggers it.

Contaminant Violations (2015–Present)

ContaminantTypeMeasuredLimitPeriodStatus
Nitrate-Nitrite MCL EXCEEDANCE 11 MG/L — 2026 Archived
LEAD AND COPPER RULE REVISIONS REPORTING FAILURE — — 2024 Resolved
Nitrate-Nitrite MCL EXCEEDANCE 12 MG/L — 2024 Archived
Nitrate-Nitrite MCL EXCEEDANCE 12 MG/L — 2024 Archived
Nitrate-Nitrite MCL EXCEEDANCE 13 MG/L — 2024 Archived
Nitrate-Nitrite MCL EXCEEDANCE 15 MG/L — 2023 Archived
Nitrate-Nitrite MCL EXCEEDANCE 17 MG/L — 2023 Archived
Nitrate-Nitrite MCL EXCEEDANCE 15 MG/L — 2023 Archived
Nitrate-Nitrite MCL EXCEEDANCE 14 MG/L — 2023 Archived
Nitrate-Nitrite MCL EXCEEDANCE 13 MG/L — 2022 Archived
Nitrate-Nitrite MCL EXCEEDANCE 13 MG/L — 2022 Archived
Nitrate-Nitrite MCL EXCEEDANCE 13 MG/L — 2022 Archived
Nitrate-Nitrite MCL EXCEEDANCE 13 MG/L — 2022 Archived
Nitrate-Nitrite MCL EXCEEDANCE 14 MG/L — 2021 Archived
Nitrate-Nitrite MCL EXCEEDANCE 13 MG/L — 2021 Archived
Nitrate-Nitrite MCL EXCEEDANCE 13 MG/L — 2021 Archived
Nitrate-Nitrite MCL EXCEEDANCE 13 MG/L — 2021 Archived
Nitrate-Nitrite MCL EXCEEDANCE 12 MG/L — 2020 Archived
Nitrate-Nitrite MCL EXCEEDANCE 12 MG/L — 2020 Archived
Nitrate-Nitrite MCL EXCEEDANCE 12 MG/L — 2020 Archived
Nitrate-Nitrite MCL EXCEEDANCE 11 MG/L — 2020 Archived
Nitrate-Nitrite MCL EXCEEDANCE 11 MG/L — 2019 Archived
Nitrate-Nitrite MCL EXCEEDANCE 13 MG/L — 2019 Archived
Nitrate-Nitrite MCL EXCEEDANCE 14 MG/L — 2019 Archived
Nitrate-Nitrite MCL EXCEEDANCE 13 MG/L — 2018 Archived
Nitrate-Nitrite MCL EXCEEDANCE 13 MG/L — 2018 Archived
Nitrate-Nitrite MCL EXCEEDANCE 13 MG/L — 2018 Archived
Nitrate-Nitrite MCL EXCEEDANCE 13.9 MG/L — 2018 Archived
Nitrate-Nitrite MCL EXCEEDANCE 13 MG/L — 2017 Archived
Nitrate-Nitrite MCL EXCEEDANCE 14 MG/L — 2017 Archived
Nitrate-Nitrite MCL EXCEEDANCE 12 MG/L — 2017 Archived
Nitrate-Nitrite MCL EXCEEDANCE 11.9 MG/L — 2017 Archived
Nitrate-Nitrite MCL EXCEEDANCE 11 MG/L — 2016 Archived
Nitrate-Nitrite MCL EXCEEDANCE 10.8 MG/L — 2016 Archived
Coliform (TCR) MCL EXCEEDANCE — 5% of samples 2015 Resolved
Coliform (TCR) MCL EXCEEDANCE — 5% of samples 2015 Resolved
Nitrate-Nitrite MCL EXCEEDANCE 11.2 MG/L — 2015 Archived
Understanding violation types MCL violations mean a contaminant exceeded the federal maximum limit — the most serious type.
TT (Treatment Technique) violations mean required treatment procedures weren't followed, but don't necessarily mean contamination occurred.

Violation History

37 violations are on record since 2015, of which 36 were health-based. All have been resolved and none remain open.

About the Main Water System

Utility Steele City, Village Of
PWSID NE3109502
Water source Groundwater — Drawn from wells — SDWIS source code GW
Population served 44
Service connections 41
Systems serving this area 1
Regulator State primacy agency
Data through 2026 Q2 — EPA SDWIS

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Steele City tap water safe to drink? ▼
No federal limit is exceeded on record. No violations are currently open. Lead is 13.50 ppb, 90% of the action level.
Does Steele City water have PFAS? ▼
This system has never been sampled for PFAS. EPA's national monitoring covered systems serving 3,300 people or more, so no results exist — which is not evidence that none is present.
Who supplies water to Steele City? ▼
Steele City, Village Of (PWSID NE3109502). Groundwater. Drawn from wells — SDWIS source code GW
When was this system last inspected? ▼
It was last inspected on 2024-08-19. Inspectors recorded 1 significant deficiency.

What Should Steele City Residents Do?

1
Consider a filter certified for lead
Look for NSF/ANSI 53 certification for lead reduction.
2
Check for a lead service line
Lead reaches tap water mainly through service lines and household plumbing. Suppliers now publish an inventory identifying lead lines.
3
Flush before drinking
If water has sat in pipes more than six hours, run the cold tap for two minutes before drinking or cooking.

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