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Local water dashboard

Official source aggregation

Water quality in Fairbury, NE 68352

A source-transparent look at local hardness, associated public water systems, EPA compliance history, and the measurements that are—and are not—available for Jefferson County.

1 reported benchmark flag
Primary matched system
Fairbury, City Of
Source water
Groundwater influenced by surface water
County
Jefferson County
Profile updated

At a glance

What the current records say

Hardness

Very Hard

238.5 PPM · 13.9 GPG

Compliance screen

No active flag

0 active health-based records

Lead 90th percentile

0.0019 mg/L

12% of action level

Utility match

2 systems

Serves 3,707 people system-wide

Hardness meter

How hard is the water?

Very Hard

Estimated local hardness

USGS hardness classification scale

238.5 PPM

Soft
0–59Moderate
60–120Hard
121–180Very hard
181+

Parts per million

238.5

mg/L as CaCO₃ equivalent

Grains per gallon

13.9

1 GPG ≈ 17.1 PPM

What this means at home

At 238.5 PPM, mineral scale can build up on fixtures and heating elements, reduce soap lather, and leave visible spotting. Hardness is primarily an aesthetic and appliance concern—not itself a tap-water safety rating.

USGS sites used

2

Nearest site

61.9 mi

Observation range

Jan 5, 2016–May 13, 2026

Estimate confidence

Low

Median of the latest qualifying hardness observation at each nearby monitoring site. Nearest monitoring location: SALT CR BL STEVENS CR NR WAVERLY NEBR (Stream).USGS source documentation ↗

Regional context

Is 68352 typical?

These comparisons use other indexed ZIP estimates, not utility tap samples. They help show local context without replacing a household test.

Fairbury median

239 PPM

About the same

1 indexed ZIP readings · Range 238.5–238.5 PPM

Nebraska median

309 PPM

70 PPM lower

466 indexed ZIP readings · Range 72.3–1245 PPM

EPA benchmark screen

Contaminant snapshot

Available numerical results from associated SDWIS community water systems, compared with the applicable action level or federal MCL. Federal measured-value coverage is incomplete.

1 pass1 fail

Lead (PB90)

0.0019 mg/L

Reported Dec 31, 2025

Copper (CU90)

1.36 mg/L

Reported Jun 30, 2021

Numerical coverage

2 comparable results

Missing values remain blank; absence is not treated as a pass.

Lead (90th percentile)

Measured in mg/L

Pass

Local 0.0019

EPA limit 0.015

Local level is 12% of the listed EPA limit.

Copper (90th percentile)

Measured in mg/L

Fail

Local 1.36

EPA limit 1.3

Local level is 105% of the listed EPA limit.

Share of EPA benchmark

100% line = listed limit

EPA SDWIS compliance

Reported violation history

Open EPA source documentation ↗
2026Q2
All records
0
Health-based
0
Active health-based
0

No violation record was returned for the associated systems in the imported lookback window beginning Jan 1, 2021.

No reported violation does not prove that every contaminant was tested or absent; SDWIS measured values are incomplete and lag state records.

Solutions matcher

Your personalized water action plan

Matched to Fairbury ZIP 68352 using 238.5 PPM nearby hardness and 2 reported measurement benchmarks.

2 matches

Scale protection

High-Capacity Whole House Water Softener

238.5 PPM is 2× the high-hardness trigger used by this matcher.

Designed to reduce scale on fixtures, water heaters, glassware, and plumbing throughout the home.

Compare whole-house systems

Drinking water protection

Under-Sink Reverse Osmosis System

Copper (90th percentile) has a measured benchmark flag or active health-based SDWIS record in this profile.

A certified multi-stage RO system targets a broader range of dissolved contaminants at the kitchen tap.

Explore under-sink filtration

Affiliate disclosure: we may earn a commission from qualifying purchases, at no added cost to you. Product matching is educational and does not replace certified water testing.

Frequently asked

Water questions for Fairbury

Is tap water safe in Fairbury?+

EPA ECHO shows no active health-based violation for the associated systems in this reporting snapshot. This does not prove every contaminant is absent; federal records can lag and household plumbing can change tap conditions.

How hard is the water?+

Nearby USGS observations produce an estimate of 238.5 PPM, or 13.9 grains per gallon, classified as very hard. This is not a household tap measurement.

Do I need a water softener?+

At 238.5 PPM, a correctly sized whole-house softener can reduce scale and hard-water spotting. It does not replace contaminant filtration.