Boil Water Advisory Rescinded for Santee Sioux Nation Near Niobrara, Nebraska

Boil Water Advisory Rescinded for Santee Sioux Nation Near Niobrara, Nebraska

New order will address E.coli in Tribal drinking water

October 2, 2025

LENEXA, KAN. (OCT. 2, 2025) - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 7 has rescinded the boil water advisory issued on Sept. 5, 2025, for the Santee Utility Commission Public Water System near Niobrara, Nebraska. The advisory was put in place following a maximum contaminant level (MCL) violation for Escherichia coli (E. coli)in the public drinking water system, including one of the drinking water wells.

The drinking water is now safe from bacteria. Residents are encouraged to run cold water taps for a few minutes, clean faucet screens, and flush appliances such as ice makers and water dispensers to ensure they are free of residual contaminants.

(From left) On Sept. 23, 3025, David Rinaldi, EPA scientist, and Seymour Brant, Santee Sioux Tribal water operator, discuss disinfection of the Tribal water system. (Photo credit: U.S. EPA

"I am pleased to announce that comprehensive measures have been taken by Tribal leadership and EPA to ensure the safety and quality of the water supply for the Santee Sioux Nation," said EPA Region 7 Administrator Jim Macy. "We extend our gratitude to the community for their patience and cooperation while the boil water advisory was in place. Your health and safety remain our top priorities, and we are committed to ongoing monitoring to prevent future occurrences."

Recent Human Health Work

Over the past several weeks, EPA has worked with the Tribe to identify a solution to ongoing bacterial concerns. During the week of September 22, EPA again traveled to the Santee Sioux Nation to provide on-site technical assistance with determining new chemical feed rates for disinfection to restore water safety.

Over the past week, the water system operator has achieved the required level of disinfection, demonstrating that the chlorination process is working properly. Actions this week include:

• On Sept. 23, 2025, Seymour Brandt, Santee Sioux Tribal water operator, adjusts the drinking water system's disinfection pump. (Photo credit: U.S. EPA)

  Installing an Additional Pump: A new pump has been installed to enhance disinfection capabilities, effectively increasing chlorine levels in the distribution system.

• Flushing the System: The water distribution system underwent thorough flushing to remove any bacteriological contaminants.
• Testing: Recent test results have shown the absence of total coliform and E. coli, confirming the water's safety for consumption.

For more information on EPA's actions to protect human health, see Region 7's Sept. 12, 2025, press release.

On Sept. 23, 2025, David Rinaldi, EPA scientist, takes readings of chemical levels in the Santee Sioux drinking water system to help understand the proper chlorine dosing levels.(Photo credit: U.S. EPA)

Order on Consent

On Sept. 25, 2025, the Tribe and EPA jointly signed an "order on consent," which is an agreement that describes the actions that will be completed to return the system to compliance with the Safe Drinking Water Act. These actions include adequate disinfection using chlorination to ensure greater than 99.99% inactivation of viruses; daily measurements to make sure there are adequate levels of free chlorine in the system; and a plan and timeline to conduct rehabilitation of the two drinking water wells to reduce the likelihood of reoccurrence of bacterial problems.

This well rehabilitation is anticipated to begin this fall and is expected to lower the level of manganese in the wells and any associated bacterial growth.

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