Public water system · NE3120949
ActiveFort Niobrara National Wildlife Refuge
At a glance
Fort Niobrara National Wildlife Refuge (PWSID NE3120949) is an active transient non-community water system in Cherry County, Nebraska. It reports serving 25 people through 7 service connections. Its primary water source is groundwater, and EPA lists it as owned by the federal government. EPA's records list 6 violations for this system; 3 are health-based, and the most recent began in May 2004.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
25
Service connections
7
Primary source
GW
Groundwater
System type
TNCWS
Transient non-community water system
System record
How does Fort Niobrara National Wildlife Refuge compare with other water systems in Cherry County?
By EPA's size categories, Fort Niobrara National Wildlife Refuge is a very small system (500 people or fewer). Cherry County has 18 active public water systems. Its population served is well below the county average of 595 people per system, and accounts for 0.2% of the 10,718 people reported by systems filed under the county. Across Nebraska, the 1,226 active systems average 1,472 people each. Nationally, the average active transient non-community water system reports serving 144 people, so Fort Niobrara National Wildlife Refuge is well below that figure.
What does “transient non-community water system” mean?
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. Nebraska has 489 active transient non-community water systems, 40% 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 Fort Niobrara National Wildlife Refuge?
EPA lists Fort Niobrara National Wildlife Refuge as owned by the federal 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. 1 of the 18 active systems in Cherry County (5.6%) are also owned by the federal government.
Does Fort Niobrara National Wildlife Refuge have drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 6 violations for this system; 3 are health-based, and the most recent began in May 2004. The violations listed here began between January 2001 and May 2004. By type: 3 contaminant level above the legal limit, 2 monitoring and reporting and 1 public notice, recordkeeping or other. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Total coliform bacteria (TCR) (6 of them). EPA lists 6 as resolved. 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.
| Began | Violation | Contaminant or rule | Health-based | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004-05-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2002-07-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2001-07-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2001-04-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Resolved |
| 2001-01-01 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherNotification, Public · code 06 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Resolved |
| 2001-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Resolved |
All 6 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.
Fort Niobrara National Wildlife Refuge: frequently asked questions
Who runs Fort Niobrara National Wildlife Refuge?
Fort Niobrara National Wildlife Refuge (PWSID NE3120949) is a transient non-community water system owned by the federal government. It is regulated by the NE state drinking water program.
How many people does Fort Niobrara National Wildlife Refuge serve?
Fort Niobrara National Wildlife Refuge reports serving 25 people through 7 service connections in Cherry County, Nebraska.
Where does Fort Niobrara National Wildlife Refuge 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 Fort Niobrara National Wildlife Refuge have any drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 6 violations for this system; 3 are health-based, and the most recent began in May 2004. 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 Fort Niobrara National Wildlife Refuge's 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. EPA's records list 6 violations for this system; 3 are health-based, and the most recent began in May 2004. For current results, consult EPA ECHO, or the NE state drinking water program.
Where can I find Fort Niobrara National Wildlife Refuge's water quality report?
The annual Consumer Confidence Report requirement applies to community water systems. Fort Niobrara National Wildlife Refuge is a transient non-community water system, so it is not required to publish one; like every public water system, it must notify the people it serves about violations under EPA's public notification rules.
Other water systems in Cherry County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sharp'S Outfitters LLC | Cherry | 3,500 | Transient non-community | Groundwater |
| Sharps Outfitters LLC - Seasonal | Cherry | 3,500 | Transient non-community | Purchased groundwater |
| Valentine, City of | Cherry | 2,737 | Community | Groundwater |
| Cody, Village of | Cherry | 149 | Community | Groundwater |
| Bowring Ranch Shp | Cherry | 100 | Transient non-community | Groundwater |
| Cottonwood Lake Sra - Ng & Pc | Cherry | 100 | Transient non-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, “Fort Niobrara National Wildlife Refuge, PWSID NE3120949, Nebraska”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/nebraska/fort-niobrara-national-wildlife-refuge-ne3120949 (data as of October 1, 2026).