State water index

Nebraska water hardness

Search 419 indexed communities and 476 ZIP profiles, then compare the underlying utility, source, distance, and reporting context.

Median regional evidence

302PPM

Very Hard

Indexed range 77.8–1580 PPM

ZIP profiles: 476
Cities: 419
Matched utilities: 511
Counties: 88

Understanding Nebraska

Why local comparisons matter here

Nebraska relies heavily on groundwater associated with the High Plains aquifer system, while the Platte and other river valleys influence many local supplies.

In this index, very hard is the largest category, covering 347 of 357 profiles with hardness data. The state median is 302 PPM, but the full indexed range is 77.8–1580 PPM.

State distribution

Hardness across indexed ZIPs

Counts describe published ZIP profiles, not a population-weighted statewide sample.

Soft · 0–60 PPM0

Moderately hard · 61–120 PPM6

Hard · 121–180 PPM4

Very hard · 181+ PPM347

Evidence coverage

What the current records support

Hardness estimate: 75%
Lead 90th percentile: 100%
Copper 90th percentile: 35%

Low-confidence hardness profiles

202

Research-comparison eligible profiles

Reported source water

Utility source mix

Groundwater: 486
Surface water: 17
Groundwater influenced by surface water: 8

Highest medians

Highest eligible city medians

1. Omaha224 PPM
2. Bellevue224 PPM

Lowest medians

Lowest eligible city medians

1. Bellevue224 PPM
2. Omaha224 PPM

City directory

Explore Nebraska by city

Search by city or county, then sort by name, hardness, or ZIP coverage.

419 cities · 476 ZIP profiles

Search city or county

County

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419 cities found

Page 1 of 18

Abie

Butler County · 1 ZIP

354PPM regional

County	Median	Range	ZIP profiles
Perkins County	922 PPM	374–1580	4
Cheyenne County	732 PPM	732–732	4
Keith County	703 PPM	366.5–1141.5	3
Deuel County	699 PPM	697–700	2
Knox County	565 PPM	492–591	6
Cedar County	541 PPM	518–652.5	9
Pierce County	532 PPM	511–535	4
Wayne County	523 PPM	522–535	4
Stanton County	520 PPM	516–523	2
Dixon County	499 PPM	456–591	8
Madison County	473 PPM	359–512.5	5
Howard County	473 PPM	473–473	2

Why local comparisons matter here

Hardness across indexed ZIPs

What the current records support

Utility source mix

Highest eligible city medians

Lowest eligible city medians

Explore Nebraska by city

Abie

Adams

Ainsworth

Albion

Alda

Alexandria

Allen

Alliance

Alma

Alvo

Amherst

Anselmo

Ansley

Arapahoe

Arcadia

Arlington

Arnold

Ashton

Atkinson

Atlanta

Auburn

Aurora

Avoca

Axtell

Highest regional-evidence county medians