Lancaster County, Nebraska: drinking water report. Lancaster County in southeastern Nebraska has about 319,000 residents, with Lincoln as the county seat
Lancaster County in southeastern Nebraska has about 319,000 residents, with Lincoln as the county seat and state capital. Lincoln Water System draws from a wellfield in the Platte River valley, roughly 50 miles west of the city, and supplements with local wells. The county's agricultural surroundings – corn, soybeans, and cattle – influence water quality at both the distant wellfield and the local aquifer.
Lincoln's wellfield in the Platte River valley produces naturally filtered alluvial groundwater, but the Platte River carries agricultural runoff from across central Nebraska. According to the Nebraska DHHS's 2024 drinking water report, atrazine and nitrate are regularly detected at the wellfield, with nitrate averaging 4.2 mg/L – below the MCL but reflecting the agricultural watershed.
Lincoln Municipal Airport has documented AFFF use, and the Nebraska DEE's 2024 PFAS investigation found PFOS at 6 ppt in monitoring wells near the facility. The EPA's UCMR5 data showed low-level PFAS in the Lincoln water system. Uranium from natural geological sources in the local aquifer is an additional concern – several wells in the county have detected uranium above 15 ug/L, approaching the MCL of 30 ug/L.
Lincoln's water system is well-managed, drawing from a wellfield designed to take advantage of natural filtration through river sand and gravel. The primary household concerns are emerging contaminants like PFAS and naturally occurring uranium in some areas.
Check your water for data at your address. For uranium and PFAS, reverse osmosis handles both effectively. Our water filter guide covers systems certified for naturally occurring radionuclides. Get your detailed report for historical trends, and visit our Nebraska page for statewide data.