Your county health department
Nebraska doesn't run a statewide free testing program that we know of. Some county health departments test wells or sell kits, so call yours first.
Nebraska's private well pageManganese in Nebraska well water, by county
Manganese is widespread, over the limit in 15% or more of tested wells, in 10 of the 25 Nebraska counties with 10 or more tested wells. 2 more look high, but those results likely overstate it. A county's share tells you how likely a problem is nearby. Only a test of your own well tells you what's in it.
How Nebraska compares with the rest of the country
Across Nebraska, about 2 in 10 tested wells had manganese over the EPA health advisory of 0.3 mg/L (177 of 902). Across all tested wells in the US it's about 1 in 7. So manganese turns up somewhat more often in Nebraska than in the country as a whole. Check your county below.
Why it matters: High levels over many years may affect the nervous system, and babies are more sensitive to it. It also leaves black stains.
Manganese dissolves out of rock and soil, especially in water with little oxygen.
Manganese in tested wells, county by county
Share of each county's tested wells with at least one result over the EPA health advisory of 0.3 mg/L. Counties need 10 or more tested wells to be listed. Widespread means 15% or more, worth checking 5 to 15%, rare under 5%.
| County | Wells tested | Wells over the limit | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lancaster County | 31 | Widespread | |
| Washington County | 44 | Widespread | |
| Douglas County | 35 | Widespread | |
| Cuming County | 14 | Widespread | |
| Dakota County | 20 | Widespread | |
| Burt County | 40 | Widespread | |
| Sarpy County | 93 | Widespread | |
| Dawson County | 11 | Widespread | |
| York County | 38 | Widespread | |
| Dodge County | 25 | Widespread | |
| Colfax County | 10 | Widespread | |
| Phelps County | 10 | Widespread | |
| Sherman County | 23 | Worth checking | |
| Seward County | 10 | Worth checking | |
| Custer County | 13 | Worth checking | |
| Scotts Bluff County | 27 | Rare | |
| Banner County | 44 | Rare | |
| Morrill County | 63 | Rare | |
| Lincoln County | 39 | Rare | |
| Cheyenne County | 31 | Rare | |
| Dundy County | 22 | Rare | |
| Chase County | 17 | Rare | |
| Perkins County | 16 | Rare | |
| Antelope County | 12 | Rare | |
| Gosper County | 11 | Rare |
* Likely overstated. These shares come from a narrow set of wells, so they probably run high for the county as a whole:
- Lancaster County: All of these tests come from the US Geological Survey, mostly before 2013 in one small part of the county, so this likely overstates it.
- York County: All of these tests come from the US Geological Survey in one small part of the county, so it may not match the rest of the county.
- Sherman County: All of these tests come from the US Geological Survey between 2000 and 2000 in one small part of the county, so this likely overstates it.
50 more Nebraska counties have 1 to 9 tested wells for manganese, too few to rate.
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Where to get your well tested for manganese in Nebraska
A lab Nebraska certifies
Ask for manganese by name. Results from a certified lab count for a home sale or a loan.
Labs certified by NebraskaA mail-in kit
Fill the bottles at your kitchen tap and mail them back. We mark the kits that include manganese.
Compare kitsKeep reading about wells in Nebraska
- Well water testing in Nebraska: how to get tested and what turns up statewide
- Manganese in well water: where it comes from, what it does and how to remove it
- Nitrate in Nebraska wells, by county
- Arsenic in Nebraska wells, by county
- Uranium in Nebraska wells, by county
- Lead in Nebraska wells, by county
Questions people ask about manganese in Nebraska
Is there manganese in Nebraska well water?
Manganese is widespread, over the limit in 15% or more of tested wells, in 10 of the 25 Nebraska counties with 10 or more tested wells. 2 more look high, but those results likely overstate it. Across Nebraska, about 2 in 10 tested wells had manganese over the EPA health advisory of 0.3 mg/L (177 of 902). Across all tested wells in the US it's about 1 in 7. So manganese turns up somewhat more often in Nebraska than in the country as a whole. Check your county below.
Where can I get my well tested for manganese in Nebraska?
Use a lab certified by Nebraska for drinking water, or a mail-in kit that includes manganese from a certified lab. Some county health departments test wells too, so call yours first.
See Nebraska's list of certified labs, or compare mail-in kits.
Where these numbers come from
- Lab tests: Water Quality Portal (USGS and EPA), well samples since 2000. A well counts as over if any of its tests was over the EPA health advisory of 0.3 mg/L. Wells tested for studies and monitoring, not a random sample of homes.
- Likely overstated: our own check of who tested the wells, when and where. How we check.
- State programs and links: Department of Water, Energy, and Environment.