Lab inventory · NY · Updated October 16, 2026
Where can I get well water tested in New York, and can I get it tested for free?
Direct answer
Use an ELAP laboratory certified for potable water. Start with the official ELAP search or your county health department. Some counties run a free or low-cost bacteria kit; New York does not offer one statewide free test. NYS DOH recommends bacteria every year and other contaminants every 3 to 5 years. Bacteria or nitrate still goes to the health department.
| What to test | Why | EPA MCL / SMCL or guidance |
|---|---|---|
| Total coliform | CDC’s annual floor for a private well. A present result is a pathway warning, not a shopping trip. | Present/absent — any detected coliform is a positive until a clean retest CDC well-testing guidelines |
| Nitrate as N | Same yearly panel as coliform. A result at or above the public-system line goes to the health department. | 10 mg/L as N (EPA public-system MCL) EPA National Primary Drinking Water Regulations |
| Lead | Usually a plumbing number. First-draw versus flushed changes the reading. | 0.015 mg/L public-system action level (15 ppb) EPA lead in drinking water |
| Arsenic | Invisible in the glass. Compare a certified-lab µg/L to the public-system MCL. | 0.010 mg/L / 10 µg/L (EPA public-system MCL) EPA Arsenic Rule |
How a New York private-well owner finds an ELAP laboratory certified for potable water, and when a county health department kit is free or low-cost.
This page is a directory of official paths, not a ranking and not medical advice. New York private wells are the owner's responsibility. NYS DOH tells private-well owners to test at least once a year for bacteria and for other contaminants every 3 to 5 years. Fact Sheet #3 says every sample should be analyzed by a laboratory certified by the NYSDOH Environmental Laboratory Approval Program (ELAP) for potable water. Those recommended MCLs on Fact Sheet #3 are public-water-supply comparison lines, also recommended for individual residential systems. EPA's private-well pages put the same owner-testing job on the household. There is no statewide free test for every New York kitchen tap. Some county health departments run their own bacteria kits or fee programs. NYS DOH's PFAS pilot offers limited free PFAS testing in Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Suffolk, Ulster, and Westchester when applications are open. That is PFAS only. If total coliform or E. coli is present, or nitrate is at or above 10 mg/L as N, take the sheet to the local health department. Well Diagnosis does not run a kit program and does not certify laboratories.
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Steps
Open the official ELAP search
Use Search NY Accredited Environmental Laboratories. Filter to drinking water / potable water and the analyte you need. Coliform is not the same field as nitrate, metals, or PFAS. Confirm the lab still holds that field before you mail a bottle.
Call the county health department first if you want a free or county kit
NYS DOH's county and district environmental-health map is the contact list. Some counties, including Schenectady (free coliform for residents) and Clinton (free testing when eligible), publish their own bottle path. Suffolk County runs a paid private-well program with a low-income exemption. Ask this week. Hours and fees change.
Collect in the lab's bottles
Use only the bottles the lab or county issues. Note the hold time on the label. Bacteria often cannot sit over a weekend. Fact Sheet #3 says sampling for lead and coliform can give a false result if collection is sloppy. Ask the local health department how to fill the bottle.
Read the sheet, then call the health department when it is bacteria or nitrate
Fact Sheet #3 prints coliform as any positive result and nitrate as 10 mg/L as N, both as public-system comparison lines recommended for a house well. EPA uses the same nitrate line on public systems. This site does not turn those numbers into a personal risk score. A present coliform or a nitrate at or above that line still goes to the local health department.
When to test
NYS DOH: test at least once a year for bacteria and for other contaminants every 3 to 5 years. Also test after you disinfect and flush the well, after maintenance, after floods, after a change in how the water looks, smells, or tastes, or when land use nearby changes. Fact Sheet #3 adds a new-well panel before the house uses the well: coliform, nitrate, nitrite, lead, arsenic, iron, manganese, pH, hardness, and the rest of that published table. Additional tests follow the house and the geology (radon, uranium, VOCs, pesticides) when the local health department says so. EPA's private-well pages still put testing on the owner. Best season on NYS DOH's March 2024 well-testing release: late spring or early summer.
Official search first
Open Wadsworth Center ELAP, then Search NY Accredited Environmental Laboratories. Main Search can filter by laboratory name or state. Advanced Search can filter by category (drinking water), analyte, or method. Confirm potable / drinking-water fields for each test on your order. Then call: private-well / residential sample, bottles, hold time, and whether a Thursday or Friday collection can arrive on time. Listing here is not a live certificate.
Search NY Accredited Environmental Laboratories (ELAP)
- NYS DOH: Private Wells
- NYS DOH Fact Sheet #3: recommended residential water quality testing
- Wadsworth Center: Environmental Laboratory Approval Program (ELAP)
- NYS DOH: county and district environmental health contacts
- NYS DOH: more information (518-402-7650 / 800-458-1158)
- NYS DOH: Private Well PFAS Testing and Mitigation Rebate Pilot Program
- EPA: Private Drinking Water Wells
- EPA: Protect Your Home's Water
- EPA state lab-certification contacts
- Tap Score / SimpleLab (approved mail-in kit example; Awin tracked URL)
Labs that take private-well work
Listing here is not a certification. Phone the lab, ask for current drinking-water fields of accreditation, hold times, and whether they want a Friday bacteria sample. If the result is coliform or nitrate, take the sheet to your health department.
Yaphank · Suffolk County
Private wells: yesSuffolk County Department of Health Services, Private Well Water Testing Program
Suffolk County Department of Health Services, Environmental Quality / Water Resources
See the county Private Well Water Testing Program page
County sampling and analysis for existing private wells. The county page publishes $100 for an existing approved well, $350 for new construction or a well without final approval, and a notarized exemption when household income is under $25,000. No fee is charged for an aldicarb-only request in agricultural areas where Temik was used. Confirm the current form and fee on that page before you mail a check.
This is a county program, not a Well Diagnosis kit. Results and a cover letter come from the county. If coliform or nitrate fails, stay with the county health department. Listing here is not an ELAP certificate. Confirm drinking-water fields in the ELAP search if you instead pick a commercial lab.
Lab website · Suffolk County: Private Well Water Testing Program
Valhalla · Westchester County
Private wells: yesWestchester County Laboratories and Research
10 Dana Road, Valhalla, NY 10595
914-231-1781
Westchester County Department of Health lists this laboratory (ELAP 10108) among New York State certified laboratories registered to submit private-well results under the county private well-water testing law. Call before you drive. Confirm current potable-water fields in the ELAP search.
A county listing is not a live certificate. Use ELAP to confirm drinking-water fields. If coliform or nitrate fails, take the sheet to the county health department.
Lab website · Westchester County: Private Well Water Labs (2025 list)
Schenectady · Schenectady County
Private wells: yesSchenectady County Public Health Services, Environmental Health
107 Nott Terrace, Suite 300, Schenectady, NY 12308
518-386-2818
The county page offers residents free analysis of coliform bacteria in private well water. Bottles and forms are picked up at the Environmental Health office. The same page says samples are accepted on Thursdays only, collected that day, and are not valid if they are more than 30 hours old.
Free here means Schenectady County residents on that published coliform path, not a statewide program. Confirm this week's hours before you collect. A positive result goes back to the county office, not to a filter brand.
Lab website · Schenectady County: Drinking Water and Wastewater
County health department path, not a Well Diagnosis kit
These numbers are published on NYS DOH and county pages. They are the official public-health path, not a shopping-cart product. Free or low-cost kits are county programs. They are not a statewide entitlement. Hours change. Call before you drive. After the sheet comes back, use the lab-report guide on this site. If coliform or nitrate fails, take the sheet to the local health department.
| Office | Counties served | Phone |
|---|---|---|
| NYS DOH Bureau of Water Supply Protection | Statewide private-well questions · bpwsp@health.ny.gov | 518-402-7650 or 800-458-1158 (in New York) |
| NYS DOH county and district environmental health map | Find the local health department that handles well testing in your county | See health.ny.gov environmental health contacts map |
| Schenectady County Environmental Health | Free coliform analysis for county residents on the published Thursday drop-off | 518-386-2818 |
| Clinton County Health Department | Free private-well testing when the homeowner is eligible · PrivateWell.CCHD@clintoncountyny.gov | 518-565-4840 |
| Suffolk County Private Well Water Testing Program | County sampling and analysis; published fee with a low-income exemption | See the county program page |
| NYS DOH Private Well PFAS Pilot | Limited free PFAS testing in Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Suffolk, Ulster, and Westchester when applications are open | See the NYS DOH pilot page |
| DEC Spill Hotline | Gasoline, heating oil, or chemical contamination, with the local health department | 800-457-7362 |
FAQ
- Where can I get well water tested in New York, and can I get it tested for free?
- Use an ELAP laboratory certified for potable water, or start at your county health department. Some counties run a free or low-cost bacteria kit. New York does not offer one statewide free test for every private well. NYS DOH's PFAS pilot is limited free PFAS testing in six named counties when applications are open.
- What does NYS DOH say I should test?
- Test at least once a year for bacteria and for other contaminants every 3 to 5 years. Fact Sheet #3 adds a new-well panel before the house uses the well and says every sample should go to an ELAP lab certified for potable water. Extra tests follow the house, the geology, and the local health department.
- Do EPA numbers apply to my New York private well?
- EPA maximum contaminant levels are written for public water systems. Fact Sheet #3 reprints those public-system comparison lines and recommends them for a house well. They are not a kitchen-tap statute. EPA's private-well pages still put testing on the owner.
- What if coliform or nitrate fails?
- Use other water for drinking and food. Take the sheet to the local health department. Fact Sheet #3 prints coliform as any positive result and nitrate as 10 mg/L as N. NYS DOH also says stop using the well for drinking and food if tests show contaminants, and to call the health department.
Well Diagnosis may earn a commission if you buy through an approved affiliate link on this page. That does not change the price you pay. Official ELAP or county health department paths come first. Tap Score is a class example of a mail-in certified-lab kit, not a ranked pick. See the disclosure.
Contaminant and parent pages
Related
See also the homepage, certified labs by state, well water test kits, how to read a lab report, and NY lab news.