Summary of Nebraska's Water Reuse Guideline or Regulation for Agriculture
This page is part of the EPA’s REUSExplorer tool, which summarizes the different state level regulations or guidelines for water reuse for a variety of sources and end-uses.
The source water for this summary is Treated Municipal Wastewater.
On this page:
- Technical basis
- Water reuse for agriculture approved for use in Nebraska
- Water reuse treatment category for agriculture
- Additional context and definitions
- Water reuse for agriculture specifications (table)
- Upcoming state law or policy
- References
- Disclaimer
This page is a summary of the state’s water reuse law or policy and is provided for informational purposes only. Please always refer to the state for the most accurate and updated information.
In Nebraska, water reuse for water reuse for agricultureThe use of recycled water for production of both crops for human consumption and non-food crops of commercial value. This reuse application excludes consumption by livestock, onsite non-potable reuse, and landscaping. includes irrigation of crops that are not intended for distribution in their raw form for direct human consumption grown in areas with unrestricted public access. The source of water treated municipal wastewater Treated wastewater effluent discharged from a centralized wastewater treatment plant of any size. Other terms referring to this source of water include domestic wastewater, treated wastewater effluent, reclaimed water, and treated sewage. is specified by the state as domestic effluent. The write-up uses state terms when discussing sources or uses of water that may differ from the Regulations and End-Use Specifications Explorer's (REUSExplorer's) terms.
Technical basis
Nebraska approves the land application of treated domestic effluent at sites where agricultural crops will be grown and public access is unrestricted (119 Neb. Admin. Code, ch. 12). “Treated wastewater shall not be applied to crops that are intended for distribution in their raw form for direct human consumption (e.g., fresh produce)” and must be applied at an agronomic rate (119 Neb. Admin. Code, ch. 12). However, public access to the land application site shall be prohibited during the actual land application event (119 Neb. Admin. Code, ch. 12). All applicable provisions of the Clean Water Act (CWA) (33 U.S.C. §§ 1251 et seq.), including its implementing regulations, must be met in addition to any relevant rule requirements under the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) (124 Stat. 3885). Treatment requirements and performance standards are applied for the removal of microbial contaminants, chemicals and other relevant indicators related to agriculture and are summarized in the table. The technical basis for developing the specifications and/or removals of microbial contaminants, chemicals and other relevant indicators is not explicitly specified.
Water reuse for agriculture approved for use in Nebraska
119 Neb. Admin. Code, ch. 12 defines the following approved water reuse for agriculture:
- Irrigation of crops that are not are intended for distribution in their raw form for direct human consumption (e.g., fresh produce) grown in areas with unrestricted public access
Water reuse treatment category for agriculture
The treatment requirements for treated domestic effluent are briefly summarized regarding water reuse for agriculture:
- Treated domestic effluent must be disinfected prior to land application in an unrestricted public access area at an agronomic rate. “If chlorine or a chlorine compound is used as the disinfection agent, the treated effluent must be dechlorinated prior to land application” (119 Neb. Admin. Code, ch. 12).
Additional context and definitions
“Unrestricted Public Access refers to areas where public access is not restricted” (119 Neb. Admin. Code, ch. 12). “Agronomic rate is defined as the application rate of nitrogen to meet the estimated nitrogen requirements of the crop being produced based on past or projected yields. In determining the agronomic rate, the permittee shall consider the nitrogen content of the wastewater, available nitrogen in the soil, and the amount of nitrogen from commercial fertilizer” (119 Neb. Admin. Code, ch. 12).
Water reuse for agriculture specifications
Summary of Nebraska's Water Reuse for Agriculture Specifications
| Recycled Water Class/Category (Approved Uses) | Source Water Type | Water Quality Parameter | Specification | Sampling/Monitoring Requirements (Frequency of monitoring; site/ location of sample; quantification methods)* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Crops not intended for distribution in raw form for direct human consumption grown in areas with unrestricted public access |
Treated domestic effluent |
pH |
Specific value not provided |
At a minimum, annually. The effluent shall be sampled on the first day of land application. |
|
Total Nitrogen |
Specific value not provided |
At a minimum, annually. The effluent shall be sampled on the first day of land application. |
||
|
Nitrate as Nitrogen |
Specific value not provided |
At a minimum, annually. The effluent shall be sampled on the first day of land application. |
||
|
Ammonia as Nitrogen |
Specific value not provided |
At a minimum, annually. The effluent shall be sampled on the first day of land application. |
||
|
Total dissolved solids (TSS) |
Specific value not provided |
At a minimum, annually. The effluent shall be sampled on the first day of land application. |
||
|
Chloride |
Specific value not provided |
At a minimum, annually. The effluent shall be sampled on the first day of land application. |
||
|
Phosphorus and Sodium Adsorption Ratio (SAR) |
Specific value not provided |
At a minimum, annually. The effluent shall be sampled on the first day of land application. |
||
|
Fecal coliforms |
≤ 30 CFU/100 mL (shall not exceed for a 30-day average) ≤ 400 CFU/100 mL (shall not exceed for >10% of samples) |
Sampling/monitoring frequency not reported. Invalid test results for fecal coliform colonies, such as “too numerous to count” (TNTC), will not be accepted and the permittee must retest within 24 hours after obtaining invalid results. The DEQ shall be notified within 24 hours of a TNTC or other invalid result. |
Source= 119 Neb. Admin. Code, ch. 12
* Information about sampling and monitoring requirements such as frequency, site and quantification methods not specifically listed in the table was not explicitly specified in the State-specific regulations.
Upcoming state law or policy
No upcoming regulations pertaining to water reuse for agriculture were found for Nebraska.
References
Clean Water Act, 33 U.S.C. §§ 1251 et seq.
Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), 124 Stat. 3885.
Land Application of Domestic Effluent, Land Application of Single Pass Noncontact Cooling Water and Disposal of Domestic Biosolids, 119 Neb. Admin. Code, ch. 12.
Please contact us at waterreuse@epa.gov if the information on this page needs updating or if this state is updating or planning to update its laws and policies and we have not included that information on the news page.