Test Well Water Near Me: Certified Labs by State

What to ask the lab for

The EPA says to test a private well every year for total coliform bacteria, nitrates, total dissolved solids and pH. Ask your local health department what else is common in your area. Source: Protect Your Home's Water.

Order sample bottles from the lab or the health department before you collect. Bacteria samples must reach the lab fast. The Texas Water Development Board says a total coliform sample usually goes in a sterile container from the lab and must be back within 30 to 36 hours. Source: Well Water Testing Information and Contacts (PDF). The well water testing guide explains each test, the cost and how to collect the sample.

Florida: county health departments

• The Florida Department of Health strongly recommends a test for bacteria and nitrate at least once a year. It says most homeowners should test for lead every three years.
• Your county health department gives sampling instructions and tests the water, usually for $20 to $30 a sample. In some cases staff collect the sample at your home for an added $30 to $40 a visit.
• State-certified private labs also test well water. Florida DEP keeps the certified lab search.

Source: Private Well Water Testing.

Texas: accredited labs and county offices

• The Texas Well Owner Network says to test at least every year for nitrate, total dissolved solids and E. coli or fecal coliform. Test again when the color, taste or smell changes, and after work on the pump or well.
• The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality accredits drinking water labs. Use the TCEQ accredited lab search and pick the drinking water matrix.
• The Texas Well Owner Network lists your county AgriLife Extension office as a contact for well owners.
• The Texas Water Development Board says some county health departments and river authorities test for coliform bacteria.

Sources: Water Well Basics (PDF); Well Water Testing Information and Contacts (PDF).

North Carolina: the local health department and the State Lab

• NC DHHS says private well water can be tested by the North Carolina State Laboratory of Public Health, through your local health department, or by a state-certified commercial lab. Procedures and fees vary by county.
• The schedule NC DHHS gives: total and fecal coliform every year; heavy metals, nitrates, nitrites, lead and copper every two years; pesticides and VOCs every five years.
• A new private well in North Carolina must be tested within 30 days of completion.

Source: Private Well Water Testing FAQs.

Michigan: the EGLE lab and county health departments

• EGLE says every private well should be tested at least for coliform bacteria and nitrate and nitrite.
• EGLE lists health departments with on-site testing in Washtenaw, Oakland, Kalamazoo, Saginaw, Luce, Mackinac, Alger and Schoolcraft counties, and White Water Associates Laboratory for the western Upper Peninsula.
• If you do not live in or near one of those counties, EGLE says to request a test through the EGLE Laboratory. Its kit line is (517) 335-8184.
• The state lab's fee schedule, effective October 1, 2026:
  • Total coliform and E. coli: $23
  • Nitrate and nitrite: $41
  • Partial chemistry (calcium, chloride, fluoride, hardness, iron, magnesium, nitrate, nitrite, sodium and sulfate): $66, plus $13
  • Arsenic: $15, plus $13
  • PFAS: $320
  The $13 is a sample preparation fee per sample. Get the samples and forms to the lab within 24 hours of collection. The lab does not accept coliform, E. coli or other microbiological samples on Fridays. To schedule a drop-off, call (517) 335-8184.
• For questions about your results, EGLE sends you to your local health department. EGLE also lists certified private labs.

Sources: Private Residential Water Well Testing; Drinking Water Laboratory; Water Testing Fee Schedule, effective 10/01/2026 (PDF).

New York: ELAP labs and the local health department

• The New York State Department of Health says to test for coliform bacteria every year, and to retest other well-specific concerns from time to time.
• Samples go to a lab certified by the state's Environmental Laboratory Approval Program. Search the ELAP lab list for potable water.
• Some local health departments have their own testing requirements. Call yours to ask which tests it requires and about local water quality concerns.

Source: Individual Water Supply Wells, Fact Sheet #3.

Certified drinking water labs in every other state

Each link goes to the state agency that certifies drinking water labs, as listed in the EPA directory dated August 2025. Your county health department can also tell you which labs it uses. Sources: EPA state lab certification directory; EPA certified laboratories page.

After the results come back

Enter the numbers in the test results explainer. A positive coliform test means the coliform guide comes next: find the entry point, disinfect and retest. Iron, hardness or sulfur on the report point to the well water filter guide and the softener guide.