Nebraska Researchers Seek to Curb Groundwater Nitrate

New grants will fund a study into treating nitrogen within the deep soil before it reaches the state's aquifers.

Updated on Oct. 20, 2026 in Environmental

A close-up of a vertical sediment core showing layers of dark soil and silt against a rural field background. — University of Nebraska-Lincoln researchers secured over $1 million in grants to develop new methods for mitigating nitrate contamination in deep soil layers. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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University of Nebraska-Lincoln researchers received over $1 million in combined grant funding to study nitrogen in the deep vadose zone. The team aims to develop methods for removing nitrate before it contaminates groundwater supplies used by 80% of Nebraskans.

Why it matters

Current nutrient management strategies have struggled to stop rising nitrate levels in wells, necessitating new approaches. By treating nitrate in the deep soil layers, researchers hope to lower future water treatment costs.

The National Science Foundation provided $496,722 for a three-year study, while the Nebraska Corn Board awarded over $570,000 for a five-year initiative. Researchers are examining how soil carbon and microbes interact with nitrate in the vadose zone.

The players

University of Nebraska-Lincoln

This public research university serves as the lead institution for studying groundwater safety and soil composition in Nebraska.

National Science Foundation

This federal agency supports fundamental research and education in all the non-medical fields of science and engineering.

Nebraska Corn Board

This organization promotes the interests of Nebraska corn farmers through research, market development, and education programs.

Nebraska Water Center

Part of the Water for Food Daugherty Global Institute, this center facilitates collaborative research to address water management challenges.

The details

The team is investigating if mobile nitrate can be converted into bound organic nitrogen through interactions with soil microbes in deep layers. This process could mitigate the impact of historical nitrogen stores that continue to generate nitrate long after fertilizer application.

The Nebraska Water Center has studied the vadose zone for the last 40 years.
The NSF grant project period spans the next 3 years.
The Nebraska Corn Board grant project period covers the next 5 years.

The Big Picture

This project extends the Nebraska Water Center's 40-year vadose zone study by shifting the focus from monitoring to active remediation. The findings could fundamentally change how nitrogen management is implemented across agricultural landscapes.

This research could eventually lead to more cost-effective water treatment methods for the 80% of Nebraskans who rely on groundwater. Success in these trials may provide new tools for protecting community water safety against long-term nitrate accumulation.

The takeaway

Addressing nitrate contamination at its source in the soil could provide a sustainable solution for protecting drinking water quality. Residents should continue to monitor local water quality reports provided by their municipal water utilities.