Protecting Nebraska’s Groundwater

Chemigation is the practice of applying fertilizer or agricultural chemicals to land or crops through an irrigation system. If adequate safeguards are not used, chemicals can flow back through the irrigation system into the well, polluting the groundwater.

To protect Nebraska’s groundwater from possible contamination, the Legislature enacted LB284, the Chemigation Act, in the mid-1980s. The Act requires the owner of a chemigation system to obtain a permit prior to chemigating. To qualify for a permit, an irrigation system must be fitted with safety equipment to prevent backflow of chemicals into the well. All chemigation systems must be inspected and approved by the Lower Platte North NRD before an initial permit is issued. The permitholder is primarily liable for any damage resulting from chemigation.

Requirements and Penalties

Anyone wishing to chemigate is required to attend a certification class and pass a written exam. This includes any person who will be operating chemigation equipment, whether it is their own or that of a landowner from whom they are renting land. The law requires every new chemigation site to be inspected and approved by the NRD before a permit can be granted. To ensure compliance, sites are reinspected at least once every three years. A complete set of chemigation rules and the required equipment needed can be downloaded here. Chemigation violations will be submitted to county attorneys. Penalties consist of Class I, II, III, or IV misdemeanors or a civil fine.