Saline County, Nebraska — public water systems
At a glance
15 active public water systems are filed under Saline County, Nebraska in EPA's SDWIS records, together reporting 14,975 people served. The largest is City of Crete, which reports serving 7,566 people. 8 are community water systems serving people where they live; the other 7 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
15
Population served
15K
Community systems
8
Groundwater share
100%
How does Saline County compare with other Nebraska counties?
Saline County has the 30th-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 14,975 people served in total, the 18th-largest county figure in the state and 0.8% of the statewide total. The average system here reports serving 998 people, about 32% 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 Saline County's drinking water come from?
By primary water source, Saline County's active systems draw on groundwater (15, 100%). Overall, all rely mainly on groundwater (including purchased groundwater) and none 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 Crete, draws primarily on groundwater.
What kinds of water systems operate in Saline County?
Saline County's active systems break down as 8 community systems (53%), 4 non-transient non-community systems (27%) and 3 transient non-community systems (20%). 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 (53%) and private (47%).
Water systems in Saline County
🔒 Create a free account to export CSV| # | Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Crete, City of | Saline | 7,566 | Community | Groundwater |
| 2 | Wilber, City of | Saline | 1,930 | Community | Groundwater |
| 3 | Smithfield Fresh Meats Corp | Saline | 1,800 | Non-transient non-community | Groundwater |
| 4 | Friend, City of | Saline | 964 | Community | Groundwater |
| 5 | Dewitt, Village of | Saline | 598 | Community | Groundwater |
| 6 | Dorchester, Village of | Saline | 586 | Community | Groundwater |
| 7 | Nestle Purina Petcare Company | Saline | 550 | Non-transient non-community | Groundwater |
| 8 | Western, Village of | Saline | 249 | Community | Groundwater |
| 9 | Crete Berean Church | Saline | 200 | Transient non-community | Groundwater |
| 10 | Smithfield Crete Distribution Center | Saline | 150 | Non-transient non-community | Groundwater |
| 11 | Crete Core Ingredients | Saline | 120 | Non-transient non-community | Groundwater |
| 12 | Tobias, Village of | Saline | 102 | Community | Groundwater |
| 13 | Swanton, Village of | Saline | 88 | Community | Groundwater |
| 14 | Akrs Equipment - Crete | Saline | 42 | Transient non-community | Groundwater |
| 15 | Zion Lutheran Church/School-Tobias | Saline | 30 | Transient non-community | Groundwater |
Saline County water systems: frequently asked questions
How many public water systems are in Saline County, Nebraska?
EPA's SDWIS records file 15 active public water systems under Saline County, Nebraska: 8 community systems (53%), 4 non-transient non-community systems (27%) and 3 transient non-community systems (20%).
Who supplies drinking water in Saline County, NE?
The largest community water systems filed under Saline County are City of Crete (7,566 people served), City of Wilber (1,930 people served) and City of Friend (964 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 Saline County's drinking water come from groundwater or surface water?
Of the 15 active public water systems in Saline County, all draw mainly on groundwater and none on surface water, counting purchased supplies. The largest system, City of Crete, uses groundwater.
Where can I find a water quality report for Saline 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. 8 community systems are filed under Saline 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 Saline 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 Saline County, Nebraska”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/nebraska/saline (data as of October 1, 2026).