How can I obtain information about a well on a property I own, recently purchased, or am about to purchase?
If the well is registered, you can obtain information by searching our database. Follow these steps:
- Visit the Nebraska Department of Natural Resources (NDNR) Well Database at https://nednr.nebraska.gov/dynamic/Wells/Wells.
- In the "Registration Code" field, enter the well's registration number without the "G" or "A" prefix (for example, use "123456" for well G-123456).
- If you don’t know the registration number, you can search the Section, Township, and Range of the well location.
- Click "Search" to view detailed well information including its location, depth, and other pertinent data.
How do I complete the change of ownership form when a previous or several previous owners didn’t update the ownership?
In this situation, the previous landowner does not need to complete Section 3 of the form. Here's how to proceed:
- Section 1: New Owner Information
The new owner (individual or entity such as a business, LLC, or Trust) must list their name as it appears on the county assessor's site or the warranty deed. This should be the legal name of the owner or entity. This also includes address. - Other Sections
Section 3 can be left blank. Complete the rest of the form as required. This may include additional information about the property and well.
If the transfer occurred within 60 days of the property transfer, Section 3 would need to be filled out.
Is there an educational flyer about the groundwater well registration program that can be shared?
Here is a link to a printable PDF flyer with helpful background and QR codes to our website resources: https://dnr.nebraska.gov/sites/default/files/doc/ground-water/FAQWells.pdf
If my address is not correct in my online well registration record, how can I get it updated?
Send an email to dnr.groundwater@nebraska.gov with your new address. Include your full name and the well registration number (ex. G-123456) in the body of the email or mail a letter to us at 245 Fallbrook Blvd., Suite 201, Lincoln, NE 68521-2363.
How much does it cost to register a well. And does it cost anything to submit a modification or a change of ownership?
The fee to register a well which pumps 50 or fewer gallons per minute is $70. The registration fee for a well that pumps greater than 50 gallons per minute is $110. Instructions for completing Water Well Registration forms and fee schedules for monitoring, observation, or remediation sites involving multiple wells can be downloaded 
Water Well Registration Instructions. You can also contact the Groundwater Section of the Department at 402-471-2363.
How can I convert my GPS coordinates to ¼ ¼ S-T-R?
GPS coordinates can be converted to ¼¼ Section-Township-Range locations at our website, http://nednr.nebraska.gov/dynamic/Geo2LegalCalc/LocationEntry.aspx. Please note that there are three ways GPS coordinates may show up on your particular unit:
- Decimal Seconds, which will give you a reading that shows up as three separate numbers, i.e. 40 22 14.2, -099 12 36.1
- Decimal Minutes, which will give a reading composed of two numbers, i.e. 42 30.562, 101 10.254
- Decimal Degrees, which will give you a reading that is just one number, i.e. 42.452342, 101.283745.
When you click on the link above, you will be taken to a page where you can enter your GPS reading. Notice that there are three tabs just above and to the left of the boxes for your entry. These tabs correspond to the three ways your GPS unit may read. Decimal Seconds is the tab in which this page always opens. If your GPS unit provides one of the other types of readings listed above, simply click on the corresponding tab on our Conversion page, and you will get the right number of boxes in which to enter your particular GPS reading. Once you have entered your coordinates, click the submit button, and you will be taken to a page with an aerial photo of the well location, as well as the ¼¼ Section-Township-Range location based on the GPS reading, which you will find just above the aerial photo.
What information is required for all wells drilled prior to 2002?
The Water Well Registration form, has the following line of instruction for registering an old well: Owner Registering well drilled prior to 2002: Minimum Required Sections - 1, 3(a,b,c,e,f), 5, 6, 7, 8(a,g,i), 9d. This line of instruction can be found at the very bottom of page 4 of the registration form. It is the last line of printing on that page. See next section for information about registering older domestic wells. There is a guidance document that may be helpful, regardless of what type of well you need to register. Wells drilled after 2001 are legally required to be required to be registered by the water well professional who constructed the well.
How can I find my house well that was drilled many years ago on your website?
Information on individual wells can be found on our website, http://nednr.nebraska.gov/dynamic/wells. This page offers numerous options for finding your wells. Looking up your well by owner’s name is the default option when you open this page. If you’d like to find information by using information other than the owner’s name, simply click the checked box next to Owner’s Name to uncheck that box, click the box next to whichever information option you’d like to search by, and click the Submit button. This will take you to a page where you can either enter your information or select a choice from a drop-down box. Please note that domestic wells (wells which provide water to a house for drinking, cleaning, etc.) that were drilled prior to September 9th, 1993, were not legally required to be registered, so many of those wells were never registered with the Department, and we have no information for them. There is a guidance document with specific instructions for looking on our website for information about domestic (household) wells and how to register them if they are not registered. The guidance document is located here: https://dnr.nebraska.gov/sites/default/files/doc/ground-water/contractors/GuidanceFindingDomesticWellRegistrationDocuments.pdf If you are searching our website and not finding the information you’re looking for, please contact our office at 402-471-2363 and ask for the Groundwater Section.
How do I get a permit for a well?
All wells that will pump at a rate greater than 50 gallons per minute (GPM) must obtain a permit to drill before construction commences. To obtain a permit to drill a well, you must call your local Natural Resources District (NRD) office. At least one NRD requires a permit for certain types of wells that will pump more than 20 GPM. If you are unsure which District office you need to contact, you can find your NRD at this link: https://www.nrdnet.org/nrds/find-your-nrd.
What do I need to do to decommission my well?
Well decommissioning must be performed by a licensed water well contractor, according to Nebraska Revised Statutes §46-1233. Your local Natural Resources District (NRD) may have a cost share fund to help defray the expenses associated with hiring a contractor to properly decommission your well. If you are unsure which District office you need to contact, you can find your NRD at this link: https://www.nrdnet.org/nrds/find-your-nrd.
The water from my faucet smells/tastes bad. What should I do?
The Drinking Water Program of the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy (NDEE) has information about your community’s drinking water. This information is available to you and can be found on Drinking Water Watch at https://sdwis-ndee.ne.gov:8443/DWW/. Drinking Water Watch also provides utility contact information should you need to report a concern with your drinking water or get an update on a known issue.
You may also reach out to the Drinking Water Program directly at ndee.drinkingwater@nebraska.gov for assistance.
If you are not on public water, please reach out to the Nebraska Public Health Environmental Laboratory (NPHEL) at 402-471-3935 or you can send an email to jody.sims@nebraska.gov to get your domestic well water tested.
Additionally, your local Natural Resources District (NRD) may also offer water testing. If you are unsure which District office you need to contact, you can find your NRD at https://www.nrdnet.org/nrds/find-your-nrd.
Is there a fee to file a Change of Ownership, Modification, Decommissioning form?
There is no fee for filing a Notice of Change of Ownership, a Water Well Registration Modification, or a Notice of Water Well Decommissioning. The forms may be sent via US Postal Mail or printed, signed, scanned (with any supporting documents) and emailed to: dnr.groundwater@nebraska.gov . Here is a link to the forms page for the groundwater well registration program: https://dnr.nebraska.gov/groundwater/forms
