Private wells
Nebraska well water: who's on a well and what to test for
People on private wells
282,100
Homes on wells
15.0%
Est. above arsenic limit
17,400
Every Nebraska county
Sorted by people on private wells. Arsenic and nitrate are modeled for typical wells in the county, not measured at yours; depth is the median of domestic well records.
| Lancaster County | 20,100 | 6% | 4.4% | 0.5 | 172 ft |
| Hall County | 12,300 | 20% | 3.4% | 2.9 | 105 ft |
| Lincoln County | 10,600 | 30% | 6.6% | 1.6 | 208 ft |
| Buffalo County | 10,500 | 20% | 5.1% | 3.3 | 227 ft |
| Scotts Bluff County | 9,300 | 25% | 5.1% | 5.1 | 79 ft |
| Platte County | 9,100 | 26% | 4.6% | 2.6 | 105 ft |
| Saunders County | 8,300 | 36% | 4.8% | 0.7 | 125 ft |
| Douglas County | 8,300 | 1% | 3.9% | 0.2 | 159 ft |
| Cass County | 7,600 | 28% | 3.2% | 1.4 | 85 ft |
| Sarpy County | 7,300 | 4% | 3.1% | 1.7 | 126 ft |
| Washington County | 7,200 | 32% | 3.9% | 0.3 | 214 ft |
| Dodge County | 5,900 | 17% | 4.3% | 1.0 | 63 ft |
| Madison County | 5,700 | 15% | 3.9% | 3.0 | 130 ft |
| Gage County | 5,700 | 24% | 3.3% | 0.9 | 114 ft |
| Seward County | 5,700 | 32% | 3.7% | 2.9 | 215 ft |
| Dawson County | 5,300 | 24% | 4.5% | 1.7 | 220 ft |
| Howard County | 4,600 | 68% | 4.3% | 4.0 | 120 ft |
| Holt County | 4,600 | 44% | 5.7% | 3.2 | 118 ft |
| Adams County | 4,300 | 12% | 3.4% | 3.8 | 180 ft |
| Custer County | 4,200 | 38% | 4.0% | 2.0 | 230 ft |
| Otoe County | 4,100 | 24% | 3.4% | 1.0 | 96 ft |
| Merrick County | 3,900 | 50% | 2.7% | 5.5 | 51 ft |
| Cedar County | 3,800 | 43% | 2.2% | 3.5 | 110 ft |
| Butler County | 3,600 | 46% | 3.8% | 3.0 | 104 ft |
| Knox County | 3,600 | 43% | 2.8% | 2.2 | 120 ft |
| Pierce County | 3,400 | 45% | 3.8% | 3.8 | 156 ft |
| York County | 3,400 | 23% | 3.0% | 4.7 | 134 ft |
| Hamilton County | 3,300 | 35% | 2.6% | 2.6 | 154 ft |
| Cuming County | 3,200 | 34% | 3.4% | 2.6 | 104 ft |
| Keith County | 3,000 | 44% | 11.3% | 1.9 | 210 ft |
| Antelope County | 2,900 | 42% | 4.8% | 3.9 | 202 ft |
| Saline County | 2,800 | 22% | 4.2% | 1.9 | 140 ft |
| Dakota County | 2,600 | 13% | 4.3% | 1.0 | 176 ft |
| Stanton County | 2,600 | 45% | 4.4% | 2.5 | 156 ft |
| Colfax County | 2,600 | 30% | 6.0% | 1.9 | 82 ft |
| Red Willow County | 2,500 | 22% | 4.1% | 6.8 | 135 ft |
| Cherry County | 2,500 | 45% | 8.3% | 0.9 | 177 ft |
| Wayne County | 2,400 | 26% | 2.5% | 2.6 | 210 ft |
| Thurston County | 2,400 | 36% | 2.3% | 1.5 | 155 ft |
| Kearney County | 2,300 | 34% | 3.6% | 4.8 | 167 ft |
| Johnson County | 2,300 | 35% | 3.0% | 0.5 | 160 ft |
| Richardson County | 2,300 | 28% | 2.8% | 2.1 | 91 ft |
| Sheridan County | 2,200 | 44% | 10.8% | 2.0 | 158 ft |
| Burt County | 2,200 | 31% | 4.4% | 0.6 | 138 ft |
| Polk County | 2,100 | 44% | 2.8% | 5.3 | 78 ft |
| Boone County | 2,100 | 38% | 5.2% | 3.0 | 210 ft |
| Jefferson County | 2,100 | 27% | 2.9% | 1.7 | 148 ft |
| Phelps County | 2,000 | 20% | 5.5% | 3.8 | 220 ft |
| Dawes County | 2,000 | 26% | 6.8% | 1.7 | 136 ft |
| Dixon County | 2,000 | 36% | 2.0% | 2.5 | 146 ft |
| Nemaha County | 1,900 | 26% | 3.2% | 3.0 | 85 ft |
| Box Butte County | 1,900 | 17% | 7.6% | 3.3 | 248 ft |
| Cheyenne County | 1,900 | 20% | 5.7% | 3.8 | 250 ft |
| Morrill County | 1,800 | 42% | 9.0% | 3.2 | 97 ft |
| Clay County | 1,800 | 27% | 3.7% | 3.2 | 175 ft |
| Nuckolls County | 1,700 | 37% | 3.7% | 5.0 | 110 ft |
| Thayer County | 1,500 | 28% | 3.9% | 2.5 | 140 ft |
| Fillmore County | 1,500 | 25% | 3.3% | 1.1 | 200 ft |
| Chase County | 1,500 | 36% | 4.3% | 4.9 | 285 ft |
| Sherman County | 1,400 | 47% | 4.9% | 2.8 | 216 ft |
| Nance County | 1,300 | 39% | 4.2% | 4.3 | 112 ft |
| Valley County | 1,300 | 30% | 3.7% | 2.9 | 180 ft |
| Webster County | 1,200 | 33% | 3.8% | 5.5 | 115 ft |
| Perkins County | 1,200 | 39% | 4.2% | 3.7 | 386 ft |
| Furnas County | 1,200 | 24% | 4.0% | 5.1 | 76 ft |
| Harlan County | 1,200 | 36% | 4.2% | 5.2 | 114 ft |
| Gosper County | 1,200 | 69% | 4.5% | 3.9 | 260 ft |
| Pawnee County | 1,200 | 45% | 2.6% | 1.3 | n/a |
| Frontier County | 1,100 | 44% | 4.0% | 3.5 | 268 ft |
| Brown County | 1,000 | 37% | 10.8% | 1.2 | 180 ft |
| Garden County | 1,000 | 56% | 20.0% | 1.4 | 88 ft |
| Greeley County | 980 | 41% | 6.0% | 2.1 | 220 ft |
| Franklin County | 970 | 33% | 3.2% | 3.8 | 180 ft |
| Hitchcock County | 960 | 35% | 3.9% | 4.9 | 114 ft |
| Sioux County | 890 | 75% | 5.2% | 1.6 | 120 ft |
| Kimball County | 850 | 24% | 6.1% | 1.9 | 240 ft |
| Garfield County | 810 | 47% | 12.2% | 0.8 | 204 ft |
| Boyd County | 750 | 42% | 2.4% | 2.3 | 67 ft |
| Dundy County | 680 | 37% | 4.0% | 6.2 | 140 ft |
| Rock County | 650 | 44% | 11.2% | 1.1 | 155 ft |
| Deuel County | 630 | 32% | 5.2% | 3.8 | 198 ft |
| Hayes County | 620 | 70% | 3.7% | 3.9 | 300 ft |
| Banner County | 610 | 92% | 4.5% | 2.7 | n/a |
| Wheeler County | 600 | 78% | 11.6% | 1.9 | 123 ft |
| Loup County | 540 | 93% | 13.5% | 0.7 | 180 ft |
| Keya Paha County | 530 | 70% | 3.1% | 3.5 | 120 ft |
| Thomas County | 500 | 74% | 13.8% | 0.5 | 70 ft |
| Grant County | 450 | 66% | 22.3% | 0.7 | 100 ft |
| Logan County | 440 | 59% | 10.2% | 1.0 | 216 ft |
| Arthur County | 420 | 97% | 23.0% | 0.4 | 220 ft |
| McPherson County | 390 | 98% | 15.2% | 0.4 | 286 ft |
| Blaine County | 340 | 75% | 10.6% | 0.8 | 110 ft |
| Hooker County | 200 | 29% | 14.6% | 0.4 | 232 ft |
Shading: red is among the highest counties nationally, amber the middle, green the lower range. Click a column to sort.
Most well users above the arsenic limit
- Douglas County: about 2,800 people
- Sarpy County: about 1,700 people
- Buffalo County: about 1,100 people
- Lincoln County: about 1,000 people
- Dawson County: about 690 people
Highest modeled nitrate
- Red Willow County: 6.8 mg/L average (limit 10)
- Dundy County: 6.2 mg/L average (limit 10)
- Webster County: 5.5 mg/L average (limit 10)
- Merrick County: 5.5 mg/L average (limit 10)
- Polk County: 5.3 mg/L average (limit 10)
Test first, then treat what the test finds
We may earn a commission from links below, at no cost to you. Picks follow the testing order, not who pays. How we make money.
1. Certified lab well test
Start here, every year
A mail-in kit analyzed by a certified lab measures bacteria, nitrate, arsenic, metals and more. Test strips cannot measure arsenic or uranium reliably.
Mail-in certified lab well water test
Mid-range2. Sediment pre-filter
Sand, silt or cloudy water
A 5-micron cartridge after the pressure tank catches sand, silt and rust before they reach fixtures or other filters. Cartridges are cheap and swap every few months.
5-micron whole-house sediment filter
Budget3. Iron and sulfur filter
Orange stains or rotten-egg smell
Air-injection or oxidizing-media filters remove orange staining and rotten-egg smell. Size one from a lab result for iron, manganese and hydrogen sulfide.
Air-injection iron and sulfur filter
Premium4. UV disinfection system
Coliform bacteria in a test
Inactivates bacteria and viruses; usually for private wells or after boil notices.
12 GPM whole-house UV purifier
Premium5. Under-sink reverse osmosis
Arsenic, nitrate or uranium in a test
The most thorough option for drinking water: PFAS, lead, nitrate, arsenic and more. Look for NSF/ANSI 58.
Waterdrop G3P600 tankless RO
Price at Waterdrop, checked Oct 5, 2026or compare on Amazon
iSpring RCC7AK reverse osmosis
Mid-range6. Whole-house well filter
Several problems at once
Multi-stage sediment and carbon for every tap. Add UV if bacteria shows up, and choose stages from your lab results, not a guess.
Waterdrop WHF21 2-stage whole-house filter
Mid-rangeQuestions
Which Nebraska counties rely most on wells?+
By share of homes: McPherson County (98%), Arthur County (97%), Loup County (93%), Banner County (92%), Wheeler County (78%). By number of people: Lancaster County (20,100), Hall County (12,300), Lincoln County (10,600).
Is arsenic a problem in Nebraska wells?+
USGS estimates about 17,400 Nebraska well users have water above the 10 microgram per liter arsenic limit that applies to public systems, the largest numbers in Douglas County, Sarpy County, Buffalo County. Arsenic has no taste or smell, so only a lab test finds it.
Do I have to test my well when I sell a house in Nebraska?+
We could not confirm a statewide rule for Nebraska. Check with your county health department. Buyers can still make a lab test a condition of the offer.
How often should I test my well?+
No federal law covers private wells. EPA's drinking water limits apply to public water systems, so testing and treating a private well is up to the owner. EPA and CDC recommend testing at least once a year for coliform bacteria, nitrate, pH and total dissolved solids, and testing for arsenic, uranium, radon and other local concerns based on where you live.
Well-user counts, arsenic and nitrate figures are each a modeled estimate built from national datasets, not a count of tested wells, and well depths summarize drilling records rather than every well. Your own well can be very different from the county average, which is why the only answer for your home is a lab test. Sources: EPA Office of Research and Development, Water Source 2020 (private well estimates by census block); CDC Environmental Public Health Tracking, Well Water Index (from USGS nitrate and arsenic models); USGS, county-level domestic well population with arsenic above 10 micrograms per liter (Ayotte and others, 2017); USGS Synthesized Domestic Well Database for the Conterminous United States (SynDWell-US), McCarthy and others, 2025 (depth, where a county has 30+ usable records).