Updated November 1, 2026

Omaha: a river city that softens its water

The Metropolitan Utilities District serves nearly 600,000 people in the Omaha area from two independent sources and three treatment plants, which M.U.D. calls a “triangle of reliability.” Average demand is 90 million gallons a day, and the system can deliver more than 300 million gallons a day at peak. M.U.D. also maintains more than 30,000 hydrants.

Missouri River and Platte wellfields

The Florence plant draws from the Missouri River, which is classed as surface water. The Platte South and Platte West plants pump from wells next to the Platte River. Regulators classify those wells as groundwater under the direct influence of surface water, so they are treated with the same caution as a river. Both wellfields have wellhead protection plans, and the state's source water assessment maps what could contaminate them.

Each plant settles out silt, then clarifies and softens the water, disinfects it with chloramine and filters it. The chloramine is a practical concern for some homes. Fish keepers need a dechlorinator that neutralizes chloramine, and home dialysis systems need extra treatment first.

Farm country shows up in the data

Omaha's rivers drain some of the most heavily farmed land in the country, and the detection list reflects it:

Nitrate: up to 3.19 ppm (range 0.532–3.19), under the 10 ppm limit
Atrazine: up to 0.326 ppb in 2024 monitoring, against a 3 ppb limit
Metolachlor, another herbicide: 0.178 ppb, which is unregulated
Cryptosporidium: found in Missouri River source water in March 2025, but none in finished water

The report also tested for a long PFAS panel, and the sampled compounds, including PFOA and PFOS, were below reporting limits.

Hardness and minerals

Measure	Average	Range
Total hardness	9 gpg	8–13 gpg
Calcium	45 ppm	35–54
Dissolved solids	396 ppm	332–515
Sodium (highest)	75 ppm	29–75
Disinfection byproducts	TTHM 44.4 / HAA5 20.2 ppb	limits 80 / 60

Dissolved solids near 400 ppm leave spots on glassware, even after softening. To size a home unit, enter 9 gpg in the softener sizing calculator and compare running costs with the salt cost calculator.

Lead

At 12.3 ppb, Omaha's 90th-percentile lead result is several times higher than many large cities on this site, though still under the action level. Copper was low: a 90th percentile of 0.0231 ppm and no sites over. If your home was built before 1940, check the service line. Until it's replaced, run the tap before drinking and use a filter certified for lead. Our filter selector lists the right certifications.

Omaha water questions

Why is Omaha's lead number higher than other cities'?

M.U.D.'s 2025 tap sampling found a 90th percentile of 12.3 ppb, under the 15 ppb action level, with 2 sites over and a range from under 0.5 to 33.5 ppb. M.U.D. says its treated water leaves the plants non-corrosive and that lead comes from service lines and plumbing, mostly in homes built before 1940.

Who pays to replace a lead service line in Omaha?

The line is the homeowner's property, but M.U.D.'s 10-year, $160 million Lead Service Line Replacement Program (Detect. Correct. Protect.), which started in 2024, aims to remove every known lead and galvanized line. It is backed by federal and state funds, and homes with infants and children come first. Call 402.504.7029.

Do I still need a softener if M.U.D. softens the water?

Many households still use one. Plant softening brings total hardness to about 9 gpg (range 8–13), which is still hard water by most scales.

Does Omaha add fluoride?

Yes. Omaha voters approved it in 1968, and state law LB 245 (2008) requires it in towns over 1,000 people. The rivers carry 0.3–0.5 ppm naturally, and M.U.D. raises that to about 0.7 ppm.

Where these figures come from

Reviewed November 1, 2026 against the sources above. Public water system ID NE3105507 (Metropolitan Utilities District (M.U.D.)). Figures describe the utility's system, not your home's plumbing; a certified lab test tells you what comes out of your tap. Spot an error? Tell us.