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Beatrice council adopts amendment to wellhead protection area, freeing about 8,500 acres
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Summary
The Beatrice City Council unanimously adopted Resolution 7769 to remove the southwest portion of the city's wellhead protection area after an Olson Incorporated study concluded the change would not impair drinking water at the CityWell farm; the action clears land-use restrictions affecting roughly 8,500 acres and will proceed to county and state review.
The Beatrice City Council on a unanimous vote adopted an amendment to the city’s wellhead protection area that removes the southwest portion of the protection overlay surrounding an old municipal well field.
City Administrator Tobias told the council the city has stopped using the older City Well Field after nitrate testing rose and has relied on water from a newer CityWell farm. Citing a memo from Olson Incorporated, Tobias said the firm’s analysis found releasing the southwest area would not affect water quality at the active CityWell farm. "By doing this release, we can release about 8,500 acres from the wellhead protection area," Tobias said.
Why it matters: removing the overlay eases zoning and storage restrictions that can limit industrial uses and site development. Tobias said developers and site selectors—particularly for property near Koch and Agrium—had expressed concern that the presence of a wellhead protection designation could complicate future investments or be read differently by future officials.
Council members asked practical questions about ownership and use of the acreage; Tobias said the land is owned by numerous private owners and can continue to be farmed, but some of the overlay restrictions (for example limits on bulk fuel storage or numbers of animals) would no longer apply.
Procedural next steps: after the council vote the amendment will go to the county planning and zoning commission, then to the county board, and finally to the state for approval. The council closed the public hearing and adopted Resolution 7769 by a 7–0 vote.
The council did not record any public opposition during the hearing; several council members noted local farmers would welcome the reduced restrictions. The item’s implementation remains contingent on county and state approvals.
