News Releases:

NDEE offers free nitrate sample kits for private drinking water wells

LINCOLN, Neb. — The Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy (NDEE) is offering free nitrate sample kits and lab analyses to private drinking water well owners across the state. These kits are only available for a limited time until Jan. 31, 2024.

Well owners who participate will receive their sample results, and NDEE will use the data from this sampling effort in a statewide nitrate study that the agency is currently conducting. The study will include nitrate sampling data from public water systems and from private drinking water well owners who agree to participate. Well owners’ identifying information will not be used in the study.

Nebraska’s private drinking water well owners can request a free nitrate sample kit, which comes with sampling instructions and pre-paid return postage, online on the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services website: https://dhhs.ne.gov/Pages/Lab-Price-List.aspx. Those without access to the internet who need help requesting a free sample kit may call NDEE at 402-471-2186.

The state does not regularly conduct sampling in private drinking water wells because they are not regulated under the Safe Drinking Water Act. Public participation in this free sampling event is key to ensuring the nitrate study accurately encompasses private drinking water wells in Nebraska.

NDEE has sent postcards to more than 29,000 registered domestic well owners in Nebraska inviting them to participate in this study. The free sample kits and lab analyses are offered to all Nebraskans with a private drinking water well – not just those who received a postcard or have a registered well.

Collecting the sample is easy. Allow the cold water tap to run for three minutes, then fill the plastic container provided in the sample kit, being careful not to overfill. More detailed instructions will be provided with the sample kit.

If a private well owner’s results are above 10 parts per million (ppm) of nitrate, they may be eligible for NDEE’s Reverse Osmosis (RO) Rebate Program to treat their water. This program offers up to $4,000 in rebates to well owners whose wells are registered through the Nebraska Department of Natural Resources and whose wells sample above 10 ppm of nitrate.

Applications for the RO system rebates must be submitted by June 30, 2024. NDEE accepts and reviews RO rebate applications on a month-to-month basis. Learn more about the RO Rebate Program on NDEE’s website: http://dee.ne.gov/Publica.nsf/pages/22-051.

Nitrogen Tool

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln has created a new easy-to-use digital tool to help ag producers determine the appropriate application of nitrogen for individual fields, as well as to help determine yield goals.

The tool, an updated version of the corn N calculator, is designed to increase efficiency of nitrogen use, as well as ease of record-keeping. The tool is available as both a mobile app and a web tool.

Users can input specifics for individual fields including:

• Soil characteristics

• Soil nitrate sampling data

• Organic matter

• Irrigation practices

• Economic information

• And more

Irrigation Water Use Calculator

Use the following formulas to calculate how much water is being applied to your fields. Be sure to look at your flowmeter to determine what formula to use.

Meter Reading in Gallons x 100

Water Pumped, Ac-In = (Ending Meter Reading - Beginning Meter Reading) x 100/27154

Divide by acres in field to get inches applied per acre

Meter Reading in Gallons x 1000

Water Pumped, Ac-In = (Ending Meter Reading - Beginning Meter Reading) x 1000/27154

Divide by acres in field to get inches applied per acre

Meter Reading in Acre-Feet x .001

Water Pumped, Ac-In = (Ending Meter Reading - Beginning Meter Reading) x 12/1000

Divide by acres in field to get inches applied per acre

Meter Reading in Acre-Feet x .01

Water Pumped, Ac-In = (Ending Meter Reading - Beginning Meter Reading) x 12/100

Divide by acres in field to get inches applied per acre

Meter Reading in Acre-Inches x .01

Water Pumped, Ac-In = (Ending Meter Reading - Beginning Meter Reading)/100

Divide by acres in field to get inches applied per acre

Spotlight Programs:

Water Quality Testing

Sub-District 3 is currently being tested this season which includes all of Thomas County west of Highway 83 and the south third of Cherry County adjacent to Thomas County and east of Highway 97.

About 95% of rural residents rely on private or domestic wells for their drinking water. If they are not properly protected, these wells are at risk of being contaminated from several sources. Potential sources of groundwater contamination include septic tanks, animal waste, pesticides, fertilizers, fuel storage tanks, used motor oil, etc. The potential for contamination in our area is also increased due to the sandy soil.

The only way to determine if your water is contaminated is by water quality testing because many contaminants are odorless, colorless, and tasteless such as nitrates. A water test for nitrates is highly recommended for households with infants, pregnant or nursing women, or elderly people, as these groups are most susceptible. Please call our office or email our technician at lspurlin@upperloupnrd.org to be added to our testing list.