Water Facilities

Wayne Water System

The existing water system is characterized as a groundwater source system serving approximately 5,300 residents, including Wayne State College and a number of commercial and industrial accounts. The system has six operational production wells. The two primary wells each have a production capacity of 1,100 to 1,200 gallons per minute, as compared to the other wells’ capacity of 400 to 500 gallons per minute.

Water quality from the groundwater source is relatively good. Nitrate levels from the primary wells result in a Nitrate level of 2-3 mg/l which is well under the state acceptance limit of 10 mg/l. The water is moderately hard at 23 to 25 grains per gallon. It is reported the City has no lead or copper problems that have impacted over 70 Nebraska communities. The fluoride ion is added at the well field to raise levels to approximately 1.0 mg/l.

The city’s primary wells are located several miles north of town and the water is fed to town via a primary transmission main along Hwy 15. In 2020, a $2.2 million project was completed to install a secondary transmission main from the north well field into town to provide for redundancy for the municipal water supply.

The city is served with a 500,000 gallon hydro-pillar (Wayne America Tower) and a 750,000 Standpipe (located in the northwest corner of Wayne). Although the standpipe is located at a higher elevation, a substantial percent of its height is not usable for hydraulic purposes.

The remainder of the distribution system is reasonably typical for a Nebraska community. Material types of mains typically consist of cast iron, ductile iron, and PVC plastic in newer extensions. There are a number of undersized mains with sizes generally ranging between 4 and 12 inches in diameter. The City is 100% metered.