Public water system · NE3114110
ActiveColumbus, City of
At a glance
City of Columbus (PWSID NE3114110) is an active community water system in Platte County, Nebraska. It reports serving 24,028 people through 9,439 service connections. Its primary water source is groundwater, and EPA lists it as owned by a local government. Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 11 are health-based, and the most recent began in October 2019.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
24,028
Service connections
9,439
Primary source
GW
Groundwater
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does City of Columbus compare with other water systems in Platte County?
By EPA's size categories, City of Columbus is a large system (10,001 to 100,000 people). Platte County has 29 active public water systems, and City of Columbus is the largest of them by population served. Its population served is about 24 times the county average of 998 people per system, and accounts for 83% of the 28,931 people reported by systems filed under the county. Across Nebraska, the 1,226 active systems average 1,472 people each. Nationally, the average active community water system reports serving 6,703 people, so City of Columbus is about 3.6 times that figure.
What does “community water system” mean?
A community water system serves at least 15 connections used by year-round residents, or regularly serves at least 25 year-round residents. Homes, apartments and mobile-home parks are served by these. Nebraska has 599 active community water systems, 49% of the state's 1,226 active systems. Groundwater means the system draws its water from wells or springs fed by underground aquifers. 1,095 Nebraska systems (89%) list groundwater as their primary source.
Who owns and regulates City of Columbus?
EPA lists City of Columbus as owned by a local government. The NE state drinking water program is its primacy agency, the regulator with primary enforcement responsibility for the system under the Safe Drinking Water Act. 10 of the 29 active systems in Platte County (34%) are also owned by a local government.
Does City of Columbus have drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 11 are health-based, and the most recent began in October 2019. The violations listed here began between January 1991 and October 2019. By type: 10 contaminant level above the legal limit, 1 required treatment not met and 1 monitoring and reporting. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Total coliform bacteria (TCR) (4 of them). EPA lists 7 as resolved and 5 as archived. Resolved means at least one resolving action is on record: the system returned to compliance, the rule no longer applies, or no further action was needed. Archived means the violation was not marked resolved but is more than five years past the end of the noncompliance period, so it no longer counts toward current compliance status.
| Began | Violation | Contaminant or rule | Health-based | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-10-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Arseniccode 1005 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2019-07-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Arseniccode 1005 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2015-05-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Archived |
| 1998-08-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
| 1998-01-01 | Required treatment not metOCCT/SOWT Study/Recommendation · code 57 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | Yes | Resolved |
| 1996-10-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
| 1996-10-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Acute (TCR) · code 21 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
| 1994-11-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Single Sample · code 01 | Fluoridecode 1025 | Yes | Resolved |
| 1993-10-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Trichloroethylenecode 2984 | No | Archived |
| 1991-07-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Trichloroethylenecode 2984 | Yes | Archived |
| 1991-04-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Trichloroethylenecode 2984 | Yes | Archived |
| 1991-01-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Trichloroethylenecode 2984 | Yes | Archived |
The 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, newest first.Labels and codes come from EPA's SDWIS reference tables. A monitoring or reporting violation means a required test or report was missed or late; it does not by itself mean a contaminant was found. "Health-based" marks violations of a legal limit or required treatment.
City of Columbus: frequently asked questions
Who runs City of Columbus?
City of Columbus (PWSID NE3114110) is a community water system owned by a local government. It is regulated by the NE state drinking water program.
How many people does City of Columbus serve?
City of Columbus reports serving 24,028 people through 9,439 service connections in Platte County, Nebraska.
Where does City of Columbus get its water?
EPA SDWIS lists this system's primary water source as groundwater. Groundwater means the system draws its water from wells or springs fed by underground aquifers.
Does City of Columbus have any drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 11 are health-based, and the most recent began in October 2019. A monitoring or reporting violation means a required test or report was missed or late; it does not by itself mean a contaminant was found.
Is City of Columbus' water safe to drink?
AquaCensus shows EPA compliance records, not current water test results, so it cannot say whether the water is safe at a given moment. Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 11 are health-based, and the most recent began in October 2019. For current results, consult the system's annual water quality report, EPA ECHO, or the NE state drinking water program.
Where can I find City of Columbus' water quality report?
As a community water system, City of Columbus must deliver an annual water quality report, called a Consumer Confidence Report, to its customers by July 1 each year, covering the previous calendar year. The system can provide a copy on request.
Other water systems in Platte County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Humphrey, City of | Platte | 842 | Community | Groundwater |
| Lakeview Community Schools | Platte | 525 | Non-transient non-community | Groundwater |
| Platte Co Dist #10 - Shell Creek Elm | Platte | 400 | Non-transient non-community | Groundwater |
| Duncan, Village of | Platte | 392 | Community | Groundwater |
| Platte Center, Village of | Platte | 336 | Community | Groundwater |
| Monroe, Village of | Platte | 284 | Community | Groundwater |
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About this data
Source: U.S. EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) and SDWA violation records, via EPA ECHO, as published October 1, 2026 — AquaCensus refreshes it quarterly. See the methodology for how records are matched, cleaned and scored.
Cite as: AquaCensus, “Columbus, City of, PWSID NE3114110, Nebraska”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/nebraska/columbus-city-of-ne3114110 (data as of October 1, 2026).