Water Quality: Kearney, NE
8 water systems • 34,989 people served
Multiple Health ViolationsWater Quality Summary
Kearney is served by 8 public water systems with a combined service population of 34,989 people, and has 49 EPA Safe Drinking Water Act violations on record. Critically, 9 of those are health-based violations, meaning one or more contaminants were detected above EPA-established safe levels — a serious public health concern. Kearney's violation count is 287% above the national average for Nebraska. Contaminants associated with violations include Endrin, Gross Alpha, Nitrate, TTHM.
Contaminants Found
Alpha-emitting radioactive particles increase cancer risk, particularly from bone and other internal cancers.
Common source: Natural uranium and radium in geological formations
EPA limit: 15 pCi/L (excluding radon and uranium)
Causes methemoglobinemia (blue baby syndrome) in infants, reducing the blood's ability to carry oxygen.
Common source: Fertilizer runoff, septic systems, animal feedlots, natural deposits
EPA limit: 10 mg/L (as nitrogen)
Total trihalomethanes are linked to increased risk of bladder cancer and adverse reproductive outcomes.
Common source: Reaction of chlorine disinfectants with naturally occurring organic matter in water
EPA limit: 0.080 mg/L (80 ppb)
Water Systems Serving Kearney
| System Name | PWSID | Source | Population | Violations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| KEARNEY, CITY OF | NE3101906 | Surface Water | 34,000 | 6 |
| BUFFALO CO SID 3 - GLENWOOD ESTATES | NE3120037 | Groundwater | 400 | 1 |
| SUNSET VIEW MOBILE HOME PARK | NE3101904 | Groundwater | 200 | 13 |
| RIVERSIDE MOBILE HOME PARK | NE3101914 | Groundwater | 122 | 2 |
| WEST SIDE TRAILER COURT | NE3121406 | Groundwater | 100 | 6 |
| CLEARVIEW UTILITIES CORP | NE3120029 | Groundwater | 69 | 7 |
| 1733 ESTATES ASSOCIATES | NE3120018 | Groundwater | 50 | 5 |
| WOOD RIVER VALLEY MOBILE HOME PARK | NE3101905 | Groundwater | 48 | 9 |
Concerned About Your Water?
A home water filter can remove common contaminants. NSF-certified filters are tested against EPA standards.
Consider a reverse osmosis system for comprehensive filtration or a carbon filter for basic improvement.
Other Cities in Nebraska
Data Sources
Drinking water violation data from the EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS). Data includes all recorded violations for active community water systems.