BLAIR, NEBRASKA (2025 February 7, Friday)
Don Harrold, Writer / Editor
editor@blairtoday.com – Facebook
Blair residents will soon see significant changes in how they receive alerts about their water quality, including faster emergency notifications and a new multi-channel alert system that will work even if cell service fails. In a major shift, the city plans to alert residents about potential issues immediately, even before all details are known.
These changes come after decades of residents noticing seasonal water quality changes, often followed by delayed notifications. They also follow a significant 2024 E. coli contamination incident that highlighted communication gaps in the current system. BlairToday spoke via email with CJ Heaton, Director of Public Works; Phil Green, City Administrator; and Jake Dunn, Public Safety and Communications Coordinator about these issues and upcoming improvements.
The 2024 E. coli Incident: A Call for Change
The 2024 E. coli contamination of Blair’s water supply raised serious questions about the city’s emergency notification system.
The incident appears to have been a catalyst for change. When asked about modified protocols following the E. coli incident, officials emphasized their commitment to faster notification: “We are continuously working to establish the most effective and reliable method for delivering emergency communications in a timely manner.”
Critical Changes to Emergency Communications
The most significant change for residents is the city’s new approach to emergency notifications. “In the event of an emergency, initial notifications may be issued before all details—such as the source of contamination or other key information—are fully identified,” the city says. This represents a fundamental shift from past practices where the city often waited to gather complete information before notifying residents.
The new emergency response system will:
- Send alerts through multiple channels, including television, social media, email, and text messages
- Function even during cell service outages
- Target specific geographical areas when needed
- Allow residents to sign up for immediate alerts
“This communication effort is ‘in addition to’ the NDEE required communication,” officials add, explaining that these rapid alerts will supplement, not replace, the legally required mail notifications.
Understanding Blair’s Water Challenges
The treatment plant faces significant challenges during certain times of the year, particularly during spring runoff. Blair officials explain why, “When dealing with surface water sources like the Missouri River, water quality can change rapidly, especially during high river levels, fast-moving water (such as spring runoff), or when ice breaks up and scrapes the riverbed, stirring up sediment and increasing turbidity and muddy mess.”
During these periods, “the treatment plant and its filtration system have to work harder to maintain the same high water quality.” This increased workload can lead to noticeable changes in water odor, particularly:
- A fish tank smell during spring thaw
- Strong chlorine odors during treatment
- Occasional pond-like smells
The chlorine smell residents notice comes from “either the additional chlorine needed to treat dirtier water or by the natural by-products created when chlorine interacts with organic material,” they say. Despite these challenges, “the water leaving the plant remains safe to drink and meets all Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy (NDEE) guidelines.”
Why Have Notifications Been Delayed?
The city explains that past notification delays were often due to strict regulations: “The communication channels (letter, email, SMS, social media) the city is ALLOWED to use to communicate official information to residents is highly regulated by the Nebraska Dept. of Environment and Energy (NDEE). Official notices are REQUIRED to be mailed but given sometimes very long delays to comply.”
Then adds an important distinction: “The notices with longer delays are usually required notices to INFORM residents of a past issue but not a WARNING of current problems.”
What Do NDEE Rules Require for Public Notification?
The Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy (NDEE) has specific guidelines on how cities must notify residents about drinking water concerns. These rules categorize events into three tiers, each with a different required response time:
- Tier 1 – Immediate Notification (Within 24 Hours)
- Required for issues that pose an immediate health risk, such as E. coli contamination, high nitrate levels, or toxic chemical exposure.
- Cities must notify residents within 24 hours through direct methods like TV/radio broadcasts, door-to-door notices, or public postings.
- Tier 2 – 30-Day Notification
- Applies to non-immediate risks, such as long-term chemical exceedances that are not an acute health threat.
- Notices must be mailed or posted within 30 days, but these are not considered emergency warnings.
- Tier 3 – Annual Notification
- Used for minor violations, such as record-keeping errors or missed testing deadlines that do not impact public health.
- These are disclosed in annual water quality reports.
What This Means for Blair
Blair officials have stated that they follow these NDEE rules, and their past notifications have met state requirements. However, NDEE does not prohibit cities from using faster digital alerts (texts, emails, or social media) in addition to the required mail notices—something Blair is now implementing with its new emergency notification system.
This change means that moving forward, Blair residents should receive real-time alerts instead of waiting weeks for mailed notices.
Major Infrastructure Improvements Underway
To address these challenges, the city has begun significant upgrades:
“We are expanding the plant’s capacity from 20 Million Gallons Per Day (MGPD) to 27 Million Gallons Per Day (MGPD),” the email stated. “As part of this expansion, we are adding four additional filters, which will provide more processing capacity during high-turbidity events.”
A crucial addition is a new polymer treatment system that will help remove organic materials before they reach the filters: “This polymer will bond with suspended organic particles in the river water, causing them to become heavier and settle at the bottom of the sedimentation tanks and returned back into the river before they reach the filters, which is where any remaining polymers and organics are removed.”
The expansion and polymer treatment system should be completed by mid-April, followed by maintenance on older sections of the plant.
What Residents Can Expect
While seasonal changes in water quality may continue due to natural river conditions, residents should notice two major improvements:
- Faster notifications about water quality issues through multiple channels
- Better handling of challenging river conditions thanks to the expanded treatment capacity
“We remain committed to transparency and maintaining open lines of communication with the public,” officials emphasize. The city will announce when the new alert system is ready for resident registration through local media outlets.
