Lincoln Water 2.0: Updates, Timeline and Frequently Asked Questions
Lincoln’s Water 2.0 project has generated questions in Cass County because the City of Lincoln’s preferred location for a future Missouri River wellfield and water treatment facility is in the area of eastern Nebraska, while future transmission infrastructure would cross rural areas.
So what exactly is Water 2.0? What is happening now? How much water would Lincoln actually take from the Missouri River? And what does the City say about potential impacts to nearby lakes, groundwater, and other communities?
This article summarizes information provided by the City of Lincoln and Lincoln Transportation and Utilities (LTU), including the City’s current Water 2.0 frequently asked questions and recent project updates.
As always, this information is intended to provide facts and context—not to tell Cass County residents what they should think about the project.
What is Lincoln Water 2.0?
Water 2.0 is Lincoln’s long-term effort to develop a second source of drinking water for the city. Lincoln currently relies on groundwater from wellfields near the Platte River, approximately 20 miles northeast of Lincoln near Ashland. The City is pursuing a second source to provide additional capacity and redundancy for its water system.
In 2022, Lincoln created a 27-member Water Source Advisory Council to evaluate potential alternatives for a second water source. The council evaluated 14 alternatives and ultimately recommended developing a wellfield and treatment facility near the Missouri River, with treated water transported to Lincoln through an underground transmission pipeline.
The City accepted that recommendation in 2023.
The recommended plan also includes continued investment in Lincoln’s existing Platte River water system. The City describes the two sources working together as a way to provide water supply redundancy and reliability into the future.
What is happening with Water 2.0 right now?
Although the ultimate Missouri River water supply is still years away, parts of the Water 2.0 project are already underway. In August 2025, Lincoln began construction on a major 60-inch water transmission main along North 98th Street in northeast Lincoln.
The approximately 2-mile transmission main will connect the Northeast Pump Station near 98th Street and Alvo Road with the Vine Street Reservoir. The City says the main is expected to be completed in 2026. The City says this infrastructure will provide benefits to Lincoln's existing water system even before Missouri River water is available. It will eventually serve as a connection point where treated Missouri River water can enter Lincoln's existing system.
One important distinction:
The transmission main is designed to carry up to 60 million gallons per day. That does not mean Lincoln is currently planning to withdraw 60 million gallons per day from the Missouri River.
According to Lincoln's Water 2.0 FAQ, the City expects the future Missouri River wellfield to use approximately 40 million gallons per day by 2075.
The 60 million gallon figure is the capacity of the transmission infrastructure, while the 40 million gallon figure is the City's projected future daily use from the Missouri River wellfield.
When would Lincoln actually begin using Missouri River water?
Not immediately.
The City's current timeline anticipates construction of the larger Missouri River transmission system beginning around 2035, with Missouri River water becoming available to Lincoln around 2048, after the wells, treatment facility, and transmission system are completed.
That means Water 2.0 is a long-term infrastructure project rather than a project that would immediately begin removing water from the Missouri River. The City estimates the overall effort will take approximately 15–20 years to complete. An earlier City estimate placed the project's life-cycle cost at approximately $1.39 billion.
FAQ: Will Water 2.0 affect Beaver Lake?
According to the City of Lincoln: No.
Beaver Lake is approximately three miles from Lincoln's preferred wellfield site.
The City says Beaver Lake is upstream from the proposed wells, meaning the proposed groundwater withdrawals would not lower the lake's water level.
Lincoln also says the proposed treatment plant and water transmission main would not impact the surface water or groundwater flow that feeds the springs associated with Beaver Lake.
According to the City's FAQ, the proposed facilities and water mains would be located near the top of the ridge line. The City says the water mains would be shallow and installed in clay material that acts as a barrier above the deeper spring systems.
These statements describe the City's assessment of the proposed project; actual environmental and groundwater impacts would continue to be evaluated as the project moves through planning and design.
FAQ: Will Water 2.0 lower the water level in Lake Waconda?
According to the City of Lincoln: No.
Lake Waconda is approximately two miles from the preferred wellfield site. The City says the bluffs to the west and the Missouri River to the south create barriers separating the proposed wellfield from Lake Waconda. Lincoln therefore does not anticipate the proposed wellfield lowering the water level in Lake Waconda.
FAQ: How much water would Lincoln take from the Missouri River?
This is one of the most important numbers to understand.
According to Lincoln's current FAQ, the average daily flow of the Missouri River near the proposed wellfield is approximately 24 billion gallons per day.
The City says that by 2075, its proposed wellfield would use approximately 40 million gallons per day.
Put another way:
40 million gallons ÷ 24 billion gallons = approximately 0.17%
That means the City estimates its future use would represent less than one-quarter of one percent of the average Missouri River flow at that location.
The City illustrates this as approximately:
Lincoln's expected use: 0.25% or less Remaining average river flow: approximately 99.75%
The City says limiting impacts to neighboring communities was one of the central considerations of the Water 2.0 Advisory Council.
It is important to note that this comparison uses average river flow. River flow naturally varies, so an average-flow comparison does not mean the river carries exactly 24 billion gallons every day.
FAQ: Would Lincoln taking water from the Missouri River prevent other communities from developing their own water supplies?
According to Lincoln: No.
The City says the Missouri River has sufficient flow to allow other communities to pursue their own water projects. Lincoln's FAQ states that an individual, village, town, or city could pursue its own water supply project from the Missouri River in the future.
That does not mean every future water project would automatically be approved or that there would be no permitting, engineering, environmental, financial, or regulatory considerations. It means Lincoln does not consider its proposed withdrawal to prevent other communities from pursuing their own projects.
FAQ: If Lincoln won't use Missouri River water until around 2048, why is the project being planned now?
Because large water infrastructure projects take years—or decades—to plan and construct. Lincoln says planning now allows the City to conduct environmental studies, engineering, property acquisition, design, permitting, and other preparation before the system is needed.
The City's current timeline shows:
2022–2024
Water Source Advisory Council evaluates potential alternatives and recommends a Missouri River wellfield.
2025–2026
Preliminary design, environmental evaluation, property/easement planning and improvements to Lincoln's existing water system.
Around 2035
Major construction of the Missouri River transmission infrastructure is expected to begin.
Around 2048
Lincoln anticipates Missouri River water becoming available through the completed wellfield, treatment facility, and transmission system.
The City describes the project as planning for Lincoln's water needs through 2075 and beyond.
FAQ: Does Water 2.0 require zoning changes in Cass County?
According to the City of Lincoln: No.
Lincoln says the Water 2.0 project does not require a zoning change in Cass County.
However, Lincoln did bring forward a proposed clarification to Cass County's agricultural zoning regulations.
The City says the purpose was to make clear that water treatment facilities, lagoons, and transmission mains would be included among the types of utility infrastructure permitted under the applicable agricultural zoning provisions.
The City describes this as a proactive step intended to provide clarity and allow for community discussion before future easement purchases associated with the project.
According to Lincoln, existing Cass County agricultural zoning already allows certain utility infrastructure, including electric, communications, gas, fuel and fertilizer lines, as well as pumping stations, substations, terminal facilities, tanks and reservoirs.
The City requested that the language specifically clarify the treatment of water-related infrastructure.
What is the status?
The Cass County Planning Commission has tabled the request to allow additional discussion and community input. Lincoln says it plans to hold additional meetings with rural water systems and the Lower Platte South Natural Resources District.
So, at this point, the zoning discussion should not be confused with a countywide rezoning for Water 2.0.
FAQ: Why does Lincoln say it needs a second water source?
Lincoln currently obtains its water from wellfields along the Platte River. The City says having a second source would provide greater redundancy if the existing system were affected by events such as flooding, drought, or other disruptions. The need for additional resiliency became particularly visible during the 2019 flooding, when Lincoln's Platte River wellfields were affected.
The Water Source Advisory Council identified reliability and resilience among the factors considered when evaluating potential alternatives. The City says having two water sources could also reduce its reliance on the Platte River system during certain water-supply emergencies.
What does Lincoln say are the potential benefits to Nebraska?
The City identifies several potential benefits of developing a second water source.
These include:
Increasing Lincoln's long-term water supply reliability.
Providing additional redundancy during droughts, floods or other disruptions.
Supporting future population and economic growth.
Potentially creating opportunities for additional businesses and jobs.
Providing greater flexibility for water management.
Reducing the likelihood that Lincoln would need to exercise its existing Platte River water rights during certain water-scarcity emergencies, which the City says could provide greater assurance to agricultural producers upstream.
These are the City's stated reasons for pursuing the project, rather than independent conclusions about the project's overall impact.
One thing worth watching: Water 2.0 is still a developing project
While the City has selected a preferred approach, several components of the project remain in the planning, design, engineering, property acquisition and permitting stages.
The City has already begun work on portions of the project, including improvements to Lincoln's existing water system and the 98th Street transmission main.
However, the future Missouri River wellfield, treatment facility and long-distance transmission infrastructure are still part of a much longer development timeline.
That means some of the questions being discussed today—particularly around exact infrastructure locations, easements, construction impacts, groundwater behavior and future operating conditions—will become more specific as engineering and design progress.
Why this matters to Cass County
Water 2.0 is a Lincoln infrastructure project, but portions of the proposed infrastructure would involve land and planning considerations in Cass County. That makes it relevant to local residents, particularly landowners and rural communities who may be affected by future easements, construction, infrastructure placement or zoning discussions.
It is also important to distinguish Water 2.0 from other development discussions happening in Cass County.
Water 2.0 is Lincoln's proposed second water source.
It is not a data center project.
It is not a privately owned power plant.
And it is not evidence that a particular future industrial development will use Missouri River water.
Those are separate projects and questions.
The fact that multiple large infrastructure discussions are happening in the region at the same time makes it especially important to look at each project independently and understand what has actually been proposed.
Watch: Lincoln's Water 2.0 Presentation
For residents who want to understand the project in more detail, Lincoln has also published a presentation discussing Water 2.0 and the City's water planning.
We encourage residents to watch the full presentation rather than relying only on summaries or social media discussions.
One particularly useful section begins around the 38-minute mark, where the discussion gets into additional details surrounding the proposed second water source.
Bottom Line
Lincoln's Water 2.0 project is a long-term effort to establish a second source of drinking water for Lincoln.
The City's current plan involves:
Missouri River wellfield → treatment facility → underground transmission pipeline → Lincoln
The City anticipates that Missouri River water would not reach Lincoln until approximately 2048, although portions of the supporting infrastructure are already being developed.
According to Lincoln's current FAQ:
Beaver Lake is not expected to be affected by the proposed wellfield.
Lake Waconda is not expected to be affected.
Lincoln expects to use approximately 40 million gallons per day by 2075.
The City estimates that would represent less than 0.25% of average Missouri River flow near the proposed wellfield.
Lincoln says other communities would still be able to pursue their own Missouri River water projects.
The project does not require a Cass County zoning change, although Lincoln has requested clarification to existing agricultural zoning language.
The Cass County Planning Commission has tabled that zoning request for additional discussion.
The project is expected to take many years to fully develop.
As Water 2.0 progresses, the details will become more specific. For Cass County residents, the most useful questions to follow are likely to be where infrastructure will be located, what easements will be needed, how groundwater and surface water are monitored, what construction impacts are expected, how the project is financed, and what regulatory approvals will be required.
The goal of Cass County Facts is to continue following those questions using publicly available information and to separate confirmed facts from projections, proposals and unanswered questions.
Sources
City of Lincoln — Lincoln Water System: Water 2.0 / Second Water Source Lincoln Water 2.0 information and FAQ
City of Lincoln — Water 2.0 project update, August 2025
City of Lincoln — Water Source Advisory Council recommendation
City of Lincoln — 2025 Annual Drinking Water Quality Report
City of Lincoln — Water 2.0 project timeline
Water 2.0 presentation Watch on YouTube
