Public water system record
City of Columbus
Serves Columbus, Platte County, NE · 24,028 people served
Federal records show 2 health-based violations and no monitoring/reporting issues for City of Columbus in the last ten years. The most serious issue in this window was a resolved Arsenic violation.
System profile
- Health-based violations, last 10 years
- 2
- Resolved
- 2
- Unresolved
- 0
- Any acute record
- No
- Monitoring issues, last 10 years
- 0
Key facts
- City of Columbus draws water from 11 wells (1 of them for emergency, seasonal or other part-time use).
- Highest measured level in the last 10 years: Arsenic, 0.011 mg/L, federal limit 0.01 mg/L (1.1 times the limit), 2019.
- Most recent formal enforcement: compliance order (no penalty) by Nebraska, March 1998.
- Record on file since 1990, with 10 health-based violations before October 19, 2016.
- Lead pipe inventory: 15 lead and 7,202 unknown out of 9,454 service lines.
Check whether City of Columbus serves your address
Health-based violations
Since October 2016Violation data reflects EPA records through March 2026. For the most current status, visit the EPA ECHO database.
| Contaminant | Rule family | Start date | Status | Acute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Arsenic
Contaminant limit exceeded
|
330 | Oct 1, 2019 | Resolved | No |
|
Arsenic
Contaminant limit exceeded
Measured 0.011 mg/L, federal limit 0.01 mg/L (1.1 times the limit)
|
330 | Jul 1, 2019 | Resolved | No |
Full record since 1990
EPA's records for City of Columbus go back to 1990. Before October 19, 2016 they list 10 health-based violations (5 resolved, 5 archived by EPA without a recorded fix) and 1 monitoring or reporting violation.
| Violations that began in | Health-based | Monitoring and reporting |
|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 9 | 1 |
| 2010 to October 18, 2016 | 1 | 0 |
| October 19, 2016 to 2019 | 2 | 0 |
Most recent health-based violation before October 19, 2016: Total Coliform, began May 2015, Archived.
Show all 10 health-based violations before October 19, 2016
| Contaminant | Start date | Status |
|---|---|---|
|
Total Coliform
Contaminant limit exceeded
|
May 1, 2015 | Archived |
|
Total Coliform
Contaminant limit exceeded
|
Aug 1, 1998 | Resolved |
|
Lead and Copper Rule
Treatment technique failure
|
Jan 1, 1998 | Resolved |
|
Total Coliform
Contaminant limit exceeded
|
Oct 1, 1996 | Resolved |
|
Total Coliform (acute)
Contaminant limit exceeded
|
Oct 1, 1996 | Resolved |
|
Fluoride
Contaminant limit exceeded
|
Nov 1, 1994 | Resolved |
|
Trichloroethylene
Contaminant limit exceeded
|
Jul 1, 1991 | Archived |
|
Trichloroethylene
Contaminant limit exceeded
|
Apr 1, 1991 | Archived |
|
Trichloroethylene
Contaminant limit exceeded
|
Jan 1, 1991 | Archived |
|
Trichloroethylene
Contaminant limit exceeded
|
Oct 1, 1990 | Archived |
Enforcement actions
Nebraska regulators took 1 formal enforcement action against City of Columbus in 1998. The most recent was a compliance order (no penalty) in March 1998.
| Date | By | Action | Violations covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 24, 1998 | Nebraska | Compliance order (no penalty) | 1 violation (1 health-based): Lead and Copper Rule |
What the violations mean
Arsenic
2 incidentsArsenic exceeded the federal limit
Long-term arsenic exposure is linked to cancer and cardiovascular effects
Where the water comes from
City of Columbus draws water from 11 wells (1 of them for emergency, seasonal or other part-time use). 3 smaller public systems such as schools, businesses or campgrounds buy water from City of Columbus.
Annual water quality report
City of Columbus must give its customers an annual water quality report (Consumer Confidence Report) by July 1, with the levels its tests found in the previous year.
Systems serving 10,000 or more people must mail or deliver the report to every customer, and from 2027 they must send it twice a year.
Find a posted report with EPA's Consumer Confidence Report search
Testing your own water
To test the water at your tap, or a private well this record does not cover, use a laboratory certified for drinking water by Nebraska.
Certified drinking water labs by state EPA guidance for private wells