Dawes County, Nebraska — public water systems
At a glance
14 active public water systems are filed under Dawes County, Nebraska in EPA's SDWIS records, together reporting 8,285 people served. The largest is City of Chadron, which reports serving 6,257 people. 6 are community water systems serving people where they live; the other 8 are non-community systems, such as schools, workplaces, campgrounds and gas stations with their own supply.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO, refreshed quarterly.
Active systems
14
Population served
8.3K
Community systems
6
Groundwater share
92.9%
How does Dawes County compare with other Nebraska counties?
Dawes County has the 32nd-most active public water systems among the 102 counties listed for active Nebraska systems in EPA records; among the 85 with 3 or more systems, the median has 10. Its systems report 8,285 people served in total, the 27th-largest county figure in the state and 0.5% of the statewide total. The average system here reports serving 592 people, about 60% below the Nebraska average of 1,472. Population figures are what each system reports; people served by more than one system, such as a wholesaler and the town that buys from it, are counted by each.
Where does Dawes County's drinking water come from?
By primary water source, Dawes County's active systems draw on groundwater (11, 79%), purchased groundwater (1, 7.1%), groundwater under influence of surface water (1, 7.1%) and surface water (1, 7.1%). Overall, 93% rely mainly on groundwater (including purchased groundwater) and 7.1% on surface water, compared with 97% and 2.6% across Nebraska. Groundwater means the system draws its water from wells or springs fed by underground aquifers. The county's largest system, City of Chadron, draws primarily on surface water.
What kinds of water systems operate in Dawes County?
Dawes County's active systems break down as 6 community systems (43%), 1 non-transient non-community systems (7.1%) and 7 transient non-community systems (50%). 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. A non-transient non-community water system regularly serves at least 25 of the same people for more than six months a year, but not where they live. Schools, factories, office buildings and hospitals with their own supply are typical examples. A transient non-community water system serves places where people do not stay long, such as gas stations and campgrounds, and regularly serves at least 25 people a day for at least 60 days a year. EPA lists their owner types as local government (36%), private (36%), state government (21%) and federal government (7.1%).
Water systems in Dawes County
🔒 Create a free account to export CSV| # | Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chadron, City of | Dawes | 6,257 | Community | Surface water |
| 2 | Crawford, City of | Dawes | 840 | Community | Groundwater under influence of surface water |
| 3 | Ridgeview Country Club | Dawes | 300 | Transient non-community | Groundwater |
| 4 | Pine Ridge Job Corps | Dawes | 250 | Community | Groundwater |
| 5 | Camp Norwesca | Dawes | 150 | Transient non-community | Groundwater |
| 6 | Museum of the Fur Trade | Dawes | 105 | Transient non-community | Groundwater |
| 7 | Chadron State Park - Ng & Pc | Dawes | 100 | Transient non-community | Groundwater |
| 8 | Dawes Co Rwd 1 | Dawes | 59 | Community | Groundwater |
| 9 | Whitney, Village of | Dawes | 57 | Community | Purchased groundwater |
| 10 | Eagles Nest Estates | Dawes | 52 | Community | Groundwater |
| 11 | Chadron Municipal Airport | Dawes | 35 | Transient non-community | Groundwater |
| 12 | Crow Butte Resources Water Supply | Dawes | 30 | Non-transient non-community | Groundwater |
| 13 | Fort Robinson State Park - Ng & Pc | Dawes | 25 | Transient non-community | Groundwater |
| 14 | Box Butte Sra - Ng & Pc | Dawes | 25 | Transient non-community | Groundwater |
Dawes County water systems: frequently asked questions
How many public water systems are in Dawes County, Nebraska?
EPA's SDWIS records file 14 active public water systems under Dawes County, Nebraska: 6 community systems (43%), 1 non-transient non-community systems (7.1%) and 7 transient non-community systems (50%).
Who supplies drinking water in Dawes County, NE?
The largest community water systems filed under Dawes County are City of Chadron (6,257 people served), City of Crawford (840 people served) and Pine Ridge Job Corps (250 people served). Which system serves a particular address depends on its service area, which EPA's SDWIS records do not include; a water bill or the local utility can confirm it.
Does Dawes County's drinking water come from groundwater or surface water?
Of the 14 active public water systems in Dawes County, 93% draw mainly on groundwater and 7.1% on surface water, counting purchased supplies. The largest system, City of Chadron, uses surface water.
Where can I find a water quality report for Dawes County?
Each community water system must deliver an annual water quality report, called a Consumer Confidence Report, to its customers by July 1, covering the previous calendar year. 6 community systems are filed under Dawes County, so the report to look for is the one from the system that supplies your address.
How can I check violations for a water system in Dawes County?
Open the system's profile from the list on this page. Each profile shows the most recent Safe Drinking Water Act violations in EPA's records, with plain-English labels and whether each one is resolved. For current compliance status, EPA ECHO is the primary source.
More Nebraska water systems
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, “Public water systems in Dawes County, Nebraska”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/nebraska/dawes (data as of October 1, 2026).