Environmental Health
Environmental Health is the branch of public health concerned with all aspects of the natural and built environment affecting human health. Environmental health focuses on the natural and built environments for the benefit of human health.
Wastewater Surveillance Reports — North Central District Health Department
The Nebraska Wastewater Surveillance Program tests wastewater at selected locations to detect levels of COVID-19, Influenza A & B, and RSV in our region. Below you will find reports from this project for the O’Neill monitoring site. This data serves as one tool to help North Central District Health Department (NCDHD) track respiratory virus activity in our communities. Vaccination remains the best way to protect yourself against respiratory illnesses. For more information, please call NCDHD at 402-336-2406.
Wastewater for week Ending 2/14/26
NCDHD Environmental Health Programs
The Nebraska Wastewater Surveillance Program tests wastewater at selected locations to detect levels of COVID-19, Influenza A & B, and RSV in our region. Below you will find reports from this project for the O’Neill monitoring site. This data serves as one tool to help North Central District Health Department (NCDHD) track respiratory virus activity in our communities. Vaccination remains the best way to protect yourself against respiratory illnesses. For more information, please call NCDHD at 402-336-2406.
Do you have a Private Water Well?
Test Your Well Yearly
Contact your local NRD or NCDHD to find out how you can get a test kit.
Testing is simple:
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Reach out to NCDHD to find out how to get a State Lab Kit
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Find your nearest NRD (as seen on the right side of this page) and pick one up there.
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Follow the enclosed instructions in your kits.
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Complete the test order form
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What can you test for and cost:
$21.00-Coliform/E-Coli
$19.00-Nitrate
$19.00-Hardness
$19.00-Flouride
$19.00-pH
Private well owners are responsible for testing their water
Unlike public drinking water supplies, private wells are not regulated by EPA. Owners of private wells are responsible for testing their water to make sure it is safe to drink.
If you have a private well, test it at least once a year for mechanical problems, cleanliness, coliform bacteria, nitrates, and any other germs or chemicals of local concern. Also check your well after flooding or if you suspect a problem (for example, a change in taste or smell). Germs and chemicals can get in wells after flooding, particularly if wells are shallow, were dug or bored, or were covered by floodwater for days or weeks.
If your water is contaminated (has unsafe levels of germs or chemicals), do not drink it and contact your health department for advice about how to make it safe to drink.
If your private well has harmful germs or chemicals in it, your neighbors’ water may also be unsafe to drink. This is because your well is likely connected to the same source of ground water (aquifer).
Water Contamination and Diseases | Drinking Water | Healthy Water | CDC
Addtional Resources:
Third-Grade Citizen Science Water Project
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Partnering with 34 schools across the NCDHD district
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Students conduct hands-on testing of private well water samples
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Lessons focus on how nitrates enter groundwater and why they matter to health
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Helps students understand risks such as blue baby syndrome and long-term health impacts
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Builds real-world science skills while connecting learning to their own communities
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Increases awareness among students, teachers, and families about the importance of regular well testing
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Supports safer drinking water for rural households relying on private wells
Check out our NRD partners that can help you out with your water testing needs-Natural Resources Districts were created to solve flood control, soil erosion, irrigation run-off, and groundwater quantity and quality issues. Nebraska's NRDs are involved in a wide variety of projects and programs to conserve and protect the state's natural resources. NRDs are charged under state law with 12 areas of responsibility including flood control, soil erosion, groundwater management and many others.
Students learn how nitrates can enter private wells and why elevated levels can be a health concern for families.
