Chemical Concentrations and Microbiological Results for Assessment of Mixed-Organic/Inorganic Chemical Exposures in Tapwater in Mead, Nebraska, June 2022 and January 2023

In the United States and globally, the lack of data on contaminant exposure from unregulated private-well point-of-use (POU) tapwater (TW) is a recognized public health data gap and an obstacle to risk management and homeowner decision making. Mead, Nebraska, is an agricultural community about 30 miles west of Omaha. To help address the lack of data on broad contaminant exposures in TW sourced from private water wells, a total of 22 samples were collected from 18 private wells during June 2022 and January 2023 and analyzed for 495 organic compounds, 34 inorganic constituents, and 11 microbial groups. The organic compounds included pesticides, pharmaceuticals, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), disinfection byproducts (DBPs), per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), and cyanotoxins. An additional three samples from existing private POU water filters were collected and analyzed only for pesticides. Pesticides and disinfection byproducts (DBP) were analyzed at the USGS Organic Chemistry Research Laboratory (OCRL) in Sacramento, California. Pharmaceuticals, VOCs, and PFAS were analyzed at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Water Quality Laboratory (NWQL) in Denver, Colorado. Cyanotoxins were analyzed at the USGS Organic Geochemistry Research Laboratory (OGRL) in Lawrence, Kansas. Inorganic constituents were analyzed at the USGS Redox Chemistry Laboratory (RCL) in Boulder, Colorado. Microbiological samples were analyzed by the USGS Michigan Bacterial Research Laboratory (MIBaRL) in Lansing, Michigan.