Clean drinking water is essential for the health and wellbeing of all Nebraskans, but especially for young children and the elderly who are more susceptible to the effects of nitrate and chemicals in the ground water.  Cancer, birth defects and other ailments are directly linked to these pollutants in test animals with a high correlation to humans. The level of contamination is only getting worse in sensitive areas of the District.

Domestic Well Sampling Program

If you own a private well in Northeast Nebraska, chances are you may have nitrates and other chemicals in your drinking water.  The fact is you don’t know what’s in your water until you test it. 

The LENRD Domestic Well Sampling Program is intended to provide free domestic well sampling for domestic well owners within the LENRD. Samples will be collected by LENRD staff and tested for:

  • Nitrate/Nitrite
  • Total Coliform/bacteria
  • Agricultural herbicide panel
  • Glyphosate/AMPA panel

To participate in this program, your domestic well must be registered and listed as active by the Nebraska Department of Natural Resources (NeDNR). If you're not sure about your well status, you can check by clicking this link. 

Wells are eligible for sampling once every five years. Eligibility for sampling will cease should the well owner receive cost share for the installation of a water treatment (Reverse Osmosis, RO) system. 

Process:

  • Contact the LENRD to request well sampling
    • Well must be registered and listed as active by the NeDNR
  • Following sample collection and analysis, results will be mailed to the well owner
  • Contingent on results, the well owner may be eligible for treatment system (RO) funding

Reasons to register your well:

  1. Registering your well will cost around $70 which is the responsibility of the well owner.  What you get in return is over $300 in water testing for free!  Testing your water - especially if you have a family drinking, bathing, and cooking with it - will give you peace of mind that the water is safe.
  2. Registering your well gives you rights and protections from spacing requirements.  This gives you protection from potential infringements on your quality and quantity of water from new wells drilled in the future.
  3. Registering your well is easy and it opens the door to this program and others that may be offered by the LENRD in the future. 

Domestic Well Treatment System Cost Share Program

The Domestic Well Treatment System Cost Share Program is a one-time use program intended to assist with funding the installation of a water treatment system on eligible domestic wells. 

Eligible Participants: 

  • Active, registered domestic wells** within the LENRD.
  • Well must be sampled through the LENRD's Domestic Well Sampling Program

Eligible Components: 

  • Equipment and installation costs for a water treatment system

In-Eligible Components: 

  • Maintenance costs and follow up sampling

Cost-Share: 

  • 50% of the total cost, not to exceed $800

Requirements:

  • Well must be registered and active with the Nebraska Department of Natural Resources**
  • The sample results must be 5ppm or greater for nitrate, or test positive for pesticides
  • The application must be approved by the LENRD prior to the purchase and installation of the equipment
  • Equipment must remove nitrate and pesticides and be approved by the LENRD
    • Installation must be conducted by a reputable installer

Following installation, well owners are encouraged to conduct follow-up sampling at their own expense. After receiving water treatment system cost-share, the domestic well is no longer eligible for the LENRD's Water Sampling Program

 

**If the domestic well is not currently registered, it must be registered at the well owner's expense prior to cost share approval.