53 public water systems in Nebraska were sampled in EPA's UCMR 5 programme (2023–2025); we show six PFAS and lithium. Read 2026-10-31.
4 of 53 systems had at least one sample above a 2024 federal limit; 52 had at least one PFAS found above the reporting level; 1 had none found above the reporting level.
A single sample above a 2024 limit is a measurement, not a violation. Compliance is judged on running yearly averages, and water systems have until 2029 to meet the limits. On 20 May 2026 EPA proposed giving qualifying systems until 2031 for PFOA and PFOS and removing the limits for PFHxS, PFNA and HFPO-DA; those proposals were not final when we last checked (5 Nov 2026). Counts are per system, not per person; population figures are available only for systems serving more than 25,000 people (about 1,129,855 people across those systems here). UCMR 5 was a one-time national monitoring programme (2023–2025). The results are a snapshot at the system's entry points or taps on the sample dates, not a continuous measurement and not a compliance record.
| System | People served | UCMR 5 result |
|---|---|---|
| Metropolitan Utilities District Metropolitan Utilities District | 660,000 | None detected (below the reporting level) |
Pages for these are being added in stages. The data for all 53 systems is in the public dataset.
| System | People served | UCMR 5 result |
|---|---|---|
| Lincoln, City of Lincoln, City of | 296,000 | None detected (below the reporting level) |
| Grand Island, City of Grand Island, City of | 51,478 | Above the 2024 limit in at least one sample |
| Papillion, City of Papillion, City of | 35,000 | None detected (below the reporting level) |
| Kearney, City of Kearney, City of | 34,000 | None detected (below the reporting level) |
| Fremont, City of Fremont, City of | 27,230 | Detected, below the 2024 limit |
| Norfolk Ne, City of Norfolk Ne, City of | 26,147 | None detected (below the reporting level) |
| Hastings, City of Hastings, City of | — | Above the 2024 limit in at least one sample |
| Clearwater, Village of Clearwater, Village of | — | None detected (below the reporting level) |
| Alliance, City of Alliance, City of | — | None detected (below the reporting level) |
| Plattsmouth, City of Plattsmouth, City of | — | Above the 2024 limit in at least one sample |
| Beaver Lake Association Inc Beaver Lake Association Inc | — | None detected (below the reporting level) |
| Imperial Ne, City of Imperial Ne, City of | — | None detected (below the reporting level) |
| Sidney, City of Sidney, City of | — | None detected (below the reporting level) |
| Schuyler, City of Schuyler, City of | — | None detected (below the reporting level) |
| West Point, City of West Point, City of | — | None detected (below the reporting level) |
| Broken Bow, City of Broken Bow, City of | — | None detected (below the reporting level) |
| South Sioux City, City of South Sioux City, City of | — | None detected (below the reporting level) |
| Chadron, City of Chadron, City of | — | None detected (below the reporting level) |
| Cozad, City of Cozad, City of | — | None detected (below the reporting level) |
| Gothenburg, City of Gothenburg, City of | — | None detected (below the reporting level) |
| Lexington Ne, City of Lexington Ne, City of | — | None detected (below the reporting level) |
| Green Acres Mobile Home Park Green Acres Mobile Home Park | — | None detected (below the reporting level) |
| Benkelman, City of Benkelman, City of | — | None detected (below the reporting level) |
| Beaver City, City of Beaver City, City of | — | None detected (below the reporting level) |
| Beatrice, City of Beatrice, City of | — | None detected (below the reporting level) |