Resident agronomist urges Hall County to promote domestic well treatment after citing heavy metals in tests

Randy Zmeck, who identified himself as a Fullerton resident and retired agronomist, told the board he had gathered testing from the Nebraska Department of Environment (NDE) and extension-related sampling that he said showed heavy metals and other contaminants at levels multiple times over drinking‑water standards at locations between Grand Island and Columbus.

"Nebraska just hit number one in Parkinson's disease as of December of 2025," Zmeck said when describing what he called a worrying trend of metals such as manganese, arsenic and uranium showing up in some test results. He advocated for broad adoption of domestic well-treatment systems and suggested the county consider wellness incentives or tax credits to encourage homeowners to install point-of-use treatment.

Zmeck urged the county to push the state for stronger domestic-well testing and to consider education and outreach, arguing that treatment systems can be effective and that public awareness is low. Commissioners thanked him for bringing the material forward; no county policy or program was adopted at the meeting.

The board requested no immediate action beyond accepting the public comment, and staff suggested Zmeck coordinate with state agencies and extension services to clarify testing and potential program costs.

Note: The statements above reflect the speaker's claims as presented at the meeting. The county did not substantiate or adopt the technical conclusions stated by the commenter during the session.