Forever Chemicals
If you are researching your own long-term health, or just want to understand the water where you live, it helps to know someone has gathered Nebraska's records into one place. Drinking-water oversight in the state runs through the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy (NDEE), so the figures below trace back to a named office, not an anonymous database. None of the numbers shown here are a judgment about your particular tap; they are the public record for the state. This is meant to be a steady place to begin when evaluating an address, a way to see what the records show and decide what is worth reviewing more closely.
EPA's UCMR 5 program (2021–2024) tested 43 public water systems in Nebraska for 29 PFAS compounds; 2 reported at least one detection and none exceeded the 2024 federal limit of 4 ppt for PFOA/PFOS (a 5% detection rate). Detections vary by water system — check the utility serving a specific Nebraska address.
Nebraska's drinking water sits under the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy (NDEE), the agency that oversees public water systems statewide through the federal Safe Drinking Water Act framework. When it comes to PFAS, Nebraska largely relies on the federal limits the NDEE administers rather than setting a separate enforceable state standard ahead of the April 2024 federal rule. That rule caps PFOA and PFOS at 4 parts per trillion, with limits on a handful of related compounds. The point worth holding onto is that a specific state office, the NDEE, is the body Nebraska's public utilities answer to here.
Numbers below come straight from EPA UCMR 5 monitoring (2021–2024). Every public water system in Nebraskaserving more than 3,300 people had to test for 29 different PFAS — here's what they reported.
43
Water systems tested
UCMR 5 (2021–2024)
2
Systems with any PFAS detected
5% detection rate
0
Systems exceeding 2024 MCL
Above 4 ppt PFOA/PFOS
3
Distinct PFAS compounds detected
Of 29 monitored under UCMR 5
0
TRI-reporting PFAS facilities
EPA Toxics Release Inventory 2024
0
DoD PFAS installations
Military PFAS contamination sites
These are the Nebraskautilities where EPA testing found PFAS the most often or at the highest levels. Being on this list doesn't automatically mean today's tap water is unsafe — some systems have added treatment since these samples were taken — but it means a conversation with the utility is worth having before you move in.
| Water system | Detections | Max value (ng/L) | vs 2024 MCL |
|---|---|---|---|
| PLATTSMOUTH, CITY OF | 2 | 0.02 | Below MCL |
| FREMONT, CITY OF | 2 | 0 | Below MCL |
PFAS isn't one chemical — it's a family of thousands. Here are the specific compounds EPA picked up most often across Nebraska water systems. PFOA and PFOS are the two with the strictest federal limits (4 parts per trillion).
Looking at a specific Nebraskacity? Each page below pulls the same federal data narrowed to that water system — useful whether you're relocating, buying, organizing your neighborhood around getting cleaner water, or just trying to find out what's in the tap and what's around you.
It is worth being clear about the limits of the data below before you draw conclusions. The federal UCMR5 round tested for 29 PFAS compounds, but only in public systems serving more than 3,300 people, and only between 2021 and 2024. Private wells and smaller rural systems were not required to take part, and a result recorded in 2022 is not necessarily today's tap. That matters in Nebraska, where plenty of households draw from private wells across farm country; if yours does, the NDEE's well-testing guidance is the more reliable route than reading a public-system number sideways. Treat the figures above as a screening snapshot rather than a final answer.
Yes. EPA UCMR 5 monitoring (2021–2024) tested 43 public water systems in Nebraska; 2 had at least one PFAS detection. Detections vary by water system — check your specific serving utility.
Nebraska largely relies on the federal PFAS drinking-water limits administered by the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy (NDEE) rather than adopting its own separate enforceable standard ahead of the 2024 federal rule. Those federal limits set PFOA and PFOS at 4 parts per trillion.
The Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy oversees public water systems and works within the federal Safe Drinking Water Act. Its approach to PFAS largely follows the federal limits, which cap PFOA and PFOS at 4 parts per trillion and add limits for a few related compounds.
The NDEE is Nebraska's state environmental agency, responsible for protecting the state's water, land, and air, including oversight of public drinking-water systems. It is the office Nebraska's public utilities report to.
Use VetMyAddress to see the PFAS detections reported for the public water system serving any Nebraska address, alongside nearby military bases and industrial PFAS sources. The data comes from EPA UCMR 5, EPA TRI, and the DoD PFAS installation report.
In April 2024 the EPA set the first enforceable federal limits for PFAS in drinking water: 4 parts per trillion for PFOA and PFOS, and 10 ppt each for PFHxS, PFNA, and HFPO-DA (GenX), plus a Hazard Index for certain mixtures. Public water systems must complete initial monitoring by 2027 and come into compliance after that.
No. The federal limits apply to public water systems. Private well owners are responsible for their own testing and treatment, which is especially worth doing near a known PFAS source like a military base or industrial site.
State numbers tell you the pattern. An address report tells you what's actually in the water at yourkitchen sink — the matched utility, the PFAS detections on file, and every military or industrial source nearby. Whether it's for your family, your neighbors, or peace of mind.
Data sources: EPA UCMR 5 bulk data · EPA TRI 2024 · DoD PFAS installation report