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 indexed hardness

309PPM

Very Hard

Indexed range 72.3–1245 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 450 of 466 profiles with hardness data. The state median is 309 PPM, but the full indexed range is 72.3–1245 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 PPM7

Hard · 121–180 PPM9

Very hard · 181+ PPM450

Evidence coverage

What the current records support

Hardness estimate: 98%
Lead 90th percentile: 100%
Copper 90th percentile: 35%

114

Low-confidence hardness profiles

112

Nearest site more than 25 miles away

Reported source water

Utility source mix

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

Highest medians

Hardest indexed cities

1. Fordyce1245 PPM
2. St. Helena1245 PPM
3. Bridgeport1025 PPM
4. Broadwater999 PPM
5. Bushnell769 PPM

Lowest medians

Softest indexed cities

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

County	Median	Range	ZIP profiles
Morrill County	999 PPM	714.5–1024.5	3
Kimball County	769 PPM	732–769	3
Cheyenne County	732 PPM	732–767	4
Deuel County	710 PPM	703–716	2
Garden County	703 PPM	703–703	1
Dundy County	690 PPM	676–703	2
Chase County	687 PPM	676–697	2
Perkins County	606 PPM	333–703	4
Boyd County	526 PPM	367–632.5	4
Keith County	525 PPM	211–686.5	3
Knox County	515 PPM	426.5–522.5	6
Dawes County	489 PPM	309.5–676	3

Why local comparisons matter here

Hardness across indexed ZIPs

What the current records support

Utility source mix

Hardest indexed cities

Softest indexed cities

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 indexed county medians