# Lincoln, NE — Drinking Water Quality (2025)

> Contaminant levels for the Lincoln, NE public water system from its 2025 Consumer Confidence Report, compared to federal limits.

- Page: https://www.thewatermap.com/water/ne/lincoln/2025
- JSON API: https://www.thewatermap.com/api/water/ne/lincoln/2025
- Source: the utility's annual Consumer Confidence Report (CCR)
- Verification: transcribed by a model, cross-checked by a second model, approved before publishing
- Reporting year: 2025
- Contaminants measured: 15
- Contaminants with a federal limit: 11
- Contaminants at or above the federal limit: 0
- Part of The Water Map — https://www.thewatermap.com

## Contaminants measured

| Contaminant | Category | Measured level | Sampling context | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chloramine | Disinfectants | 2.44 (Running annual avg) | System-wide | 4 (MRDL) | Within the limit |
| Bromate | Disinfection byproducts | 0.57 (Running annual avg) | System-wide | 10 (MCL) | Within the limit |
| HAA5 | Disinfection byproducts | 19.8 (Running annual avg) | System-wide | 60 (MCL) | Within the limit |
| TTHM | Disinfection byproducts | 32.4 (Running annual avg) | System-wide | 80 (MCL) | Within the limit |
| Fluoride | Inorganic chemicals | 0.76 (Maximum) | Test Reslt | 4 (MCL) | Within the limit |
| Arsenic | Metals | 7.1–7.7 (Range) | of Test Results | 10 (MCL) | Within the limit |
| Barium | Metals | 0.115–0.132 (Range) | of Test Results | 2 (MCL) | Within the limit |
| Copper | Metals | 10–990 % (90th percentile) | At the tap | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |
| Lead | Metals | 0–27.6 % (90th percentile) | At the tap | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |
| Lithium | Metals | 20.9 (Average) | of Test Results | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |
| Selenium | Metals | 4.57–7.27 (Range) | of Test Results | 50 (MCL) | Within the limit |
| Total Coliform | Microbial | 1 (Highest single sample) | Monthly Positive Coliform Samples | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |
| Turbidity | Physical & aggregate | 0.16 (Highest single sample) | System-wide | 95 (Treatment technique) | Within the limit |
| Combined Radium | Radionuclides | 1.05–2 (Range) | of Test Results | 5 (MCL) | Within the limit |
| Gross Alpha | Radionuclides | 11 (Maximum) | Test Result | 15 (MCL) | Within the limit |

## What these contaminants are

- **Chloramine** — A longer-lasting disinfectant made by combining chlorine with ammonia. Holds disinfection further into the pipe network, but is regulated under the same residual-disinfectant cap as chlorine.
- **Bromate** — A disinfection byproduct formed when bromide-containing water is treated with ozone. Classified as a probable human carcinogen; the EPA sets a strict maximum contaminant level.
- **HAA5** — Haloacetic acids — a group of five disinfection byproducts formed when disinfectants react with organic matter. Long-term exposure above the federal limit is associated with an increased cancer risk.
- **TTHM** — Total trihalomethanes — a group of four chemicals (including chloroform) formed when chlorine reacts with natural organic matter. Long-term exposure above the federal limit is linked to liver, kidney, and central-nervous-system effects and increased cancer risk.
- **Fluoride** — A mineral often added to drinking water to help prevent tooth decay. Beneficial at low levels, but long-term exposure above the federal limit can cause bone disease and tooth mottling.
- **Arsenic** — A naturally occurring element that also enters water from industry and agriculture. A known human carcinogen; long-term exposure is linked to skin, bladder, and lung cancer.
- **Barium** — A metal from erosion of natural deposits and industrial discharge. Long-term exposure above the federal limit can raise blood pressure.
- **Copper** — A metal that enters water from corroding household plumbing. Short-term exposure causes stomach distress; long-term exposure can damage the liver and kidneys.
- **Lead** — A toxic metal that leaches into water from old service lines, solder, and plumbing fixtures. There is no safe level of lead; it harms brain development in children and raises blood pressure in adults. The EPA sets an action level, not a health goal above zero.
- **Lithium** — A naturally occurring element found in some groundwater. No enforceable federal limit; on the EPA contaminant candidate list for further study.
- **Selenium** — A trace element from natural deposits and industrial discharge. Essential in tiny amounts, but long-term exposure above the federal limit can cause hair and fingernail loss and circulatory problems.
- **Total Coliform** — A group of bacteria used as an indicator of overall water-system sanitation. Coliforms themselves are usually harmless, but their presence signals that disease-causing organisms could enter the system.
- **Turbidity** — A measure of cloudiness from suspended particles in the water. High turbidity can shelter microbes from disinfection; the EPA enforces it through a treatment-technique standard.
- **Combined Radium** — Combined radium-226 and radium-228 — naturally occurring radioactive elements. Long-term exposure above the federal limit increases the risk of bone cancer.
- **Gross Alpha** — Gross alpha particle activity — a combined measure of alpha-emitting radioactive substances. Long-term exposure above the federal limit increases cancer risk.

## How to read this

- A water-quality report covers an entire service area, not a single address.
- 'Federal limit' is the EPA standard (MCL, action level, treatment technique, etc.) that the measured level is compared against.
- 'At or above the federal limit' means the utility's own reported figure met or exceeded that standard.

_Figures are the utility's own published numbers. Generated 2026-05-25 from thewatermap.com._