Get Your Water Tested

Every state runs its own program for certifying drinking water labs. Find your state's official directory, see what to test for, and learn what it costs.

States

52

Programs verified

51

Typical cost

$25–$450

Updated

2026

How It Works

Why state certification matters

Under the federal Safe Drinking Water Act (40 CFR 142.10(b)(3)), each state runs its own program to certify the laboratories that analyze drinking water. Public water systems are required to use these certified labs — and so should you, if your test result needs to count for legal, real-estate, or regulatory purposes.

State certification verifies the lab uses EPA-approved methods, maintains documented quality control, passes proficiency testing on a fixed cadence, and is audited on a defined schedule. A non-certified lab might be perfectly competent — but their results won't be accepted in a dispute.

Pick your state below. Each state page shows the official directory, the certifying agency, what format the directory takes, and which contaminants WaterVerge data suggests are worth prioritizing in that state.

Before You Test

Three things to know first

01

Read your CCR first

If you're on a public water system, your annual Consumer Confidence Report is free and tells you exactly what the utility found at the source. It won't tell you what's coming out of your tap (lead from pipes) — but it's the right starting point.

02

Match the test to the question

"Is my water safe?" is too broad. Pick one or two real concerns — lead from old pipes, bacteria from a private well, PFAS near a known source. A targeted $30 test usually beats a vague $200 panel.

03

Sample correctly or skip

Most "bad" water test results are actually bad samples. Follow the lab's collection instructions exactly — wrong bottle, wrong timing, or contaminated tap can invalidate everything.

State Directory

Find a certified lab in your state

51 of 52 verified

ADEM Drinking Water Laboratory Certification Program

Drinking Water Laboratory Certification Program

Office of Laboratory Licensure & Certification

AR Contact agency

Engineering Section Drinking Water Lab Certification

CA Interactive map

Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program (ELAP)

CO Searchable database

Laboratory Certification Program

Environmental Laboratory Certification Program (ELCP)

Office of Drinking Water Laboratory Certification Program

DC Contact agency

District of Columbia

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 3

FL Searchable database

Environmental Laboratory Certification Program

GA Contact agency

EPD Laboratory Certification Program

Drinking Water Certification Program

Idaho Bureau of Laboratories Drinking Water Certification

Illinois Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program

IN Interactive map

Drinking Water Laboratory Certification

IA Searchable database

Environmental Laboratory Certification Program

KS Searchable database

Environmental Laboratory Improvement Program

Kentucky Drinking Water Lab Certification Program

LDH Laboratory Certification Program

Maine CDC Laboratory Accreditation Program

MDE Laboratory Certification Program

MA Searchable database

MassDEP Laboratory Certification Program

EGLE Drinking Water Laboratory Certification Program

MN Searchable database

Minnesota Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program (MNELAP)

MSDH Environmental Laboratory Certification

Environmental Services Program Laboratory Certification

DPHHS Water Laboratory Certification Program

DHHS Laboratory Certification Program

NDEP Laboratory Certification Program

NH Searchable database

NH Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program (NHELAP)

NJ Searchable database

Office of Quality Assurance (OQA) Laboratory Certification

Drinking Water Laboratory Certification Program

NY Searchable database

Environmental Laboratory Approval Program (ELAP)

NC Searchable database

NCSLPH Environmental Sciences Certification

ND Contact agency

Environmental Laboratory Certification Program

Ohio EPA Drinking Water Laboratory Certification

OK Searchable database

DEQ Laboratory Accreditation Program

OR Searchable database

Oregon Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program (ORELAP)

Pennsylvania Laboratory Accreditation Program

State certification program

RIDOH Center for Drinking Water Quality Lab Certification

SC Interactive map

Office of Environmental Laboratory Certification

DANR Drinking Water Laboratory Certification

TDEC Laboratory Certification Program

TCEQ Drinking Water Lab Approval / NELAP Accreditation

UT Contact agency

Utah Public Health Laboratory Environmental Lab Certification

VDH Public Health Laboratory Certification

DCLS Certification and Accreditation Program

WA Searchable database

Washington Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program

Office of Laboratory Services Drinking Water Lab Certification

DNR Laboratory Certification Program

EPA Region 8 Drinking Water Laboratory Certification

Costs

What testing typically costs

$25–$60

Single contaminant

Lead, nitrate, total coliform, or one specific concern. Often 3–7 business days for chemistry; 24–48 hours for bacteria.

$50–$150

General panel

pH, hardness, iron, manganese, chloride, total coliform, sometimes lead and nitrate. Solid baseline if you don't know where to start.

$250–$450+

Comprehensive + PFAS / VOCs

Adds specialty methods like EPA 533/537.1 for PFAS or 524.2 for VOCs. 2–4 weeks. Required for some legal use cases.