About this list
- Agency
- Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) - Environmental Laboratory Certification Program
- Format
- LabCert web application: certified-lab table (Excel export) + per-analyte search, analyte-level (Drinking Water program)
- Homeowner flag
- Not stated in the list. Iowa DNR's program page says private well owners can get free testing once a year through the Grants to Counties program, which "is run by your county health department."
Certified as ofDate Generated: 11/14/2026 (LabCert, live database)
Iowa DNR LabCert - List of Certified Labs (Drinking Water program) + Find a Lab analyte search + Lab Details. Fetched 2026-11-15 (UTC).
Official sourceTesting your well in Iowa
How often to test
- Iowa DNR says every private well used for drinking should be tested at least once a year. Also test when the well is new, after any work on the well, pump or water system, and when the water looks, smells or tastes different. [1]
- For the tests covered by the Private Well Grants program, Iowa DNR lists bacteria (coliform and E. coli) and nitrate every year, and arsenic and manganese every three years. [2]
Free testing
- Iowa's Private Well Grants program provides free water testing to private well owners through county environmental health offices. Iowa DNR says nearly all counties take part; ask your county office whether yours does and to arrange sampling. [2]
- The standard free tests are nitrate, bacteria, manganese and arsenic. A county health specialist must collect the sample. Requests to cover other tests are reviewed case by case. [3]
Testing programs and help
- The same program reimburses qualifying well services done by a DNR-certified contractor, at actual cost up to $400 for shock chlorination, $600 for a well assessment, $700 for well plugging, $400 for cistern plugging and $2,000 for well reconstruction or rehabilitation. Contact your county health department before the work starts. [3]
State lab and rules
- The State Hygienic Laboratory at the University of Iowa mails a coliform bacteria and nitrate sampling kit on request. It says funding may be available through your county health department and the Private Well Grants program, so you may be able to test at no cost. [4]
- Iowa DNR certifies drinking water laboratories and says all well water testing should be done by a DNR-certified lab. [2]
Show the numbers
| Item | Value | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Zone 1 | 99 counties | |
| Zone 2 | 0 counties | |
| Zone 3 | 0 counties |
Radon in indoor air, not in water. EPA: Zone 1 = highest potential (average indoor radon may be above 4 pCi/L); Zone 2 = 2 to 4; Zone 3 = below 2. EPA says the map should not be used to decide whether an individual home needs testing. Source: U.S. EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county list (EPA 402/A-16/001, spreadsheet Sep 2025), accessed 2026-11-01.
Sources
- Iowa DNR, Private Well Program
- Iowa DNR, Private Well Program: Well Testing
- Iowa DNR / Iowa HHS, Private Well Grants Program: Guidance on Qualifying Expenses (updated Jul 8, 2026)
- State Hygienic Laboratory at the University of Iowa, Request Private Well Testing
- U.S. EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county list (EPA 402/A-16/001, spreadsheet Sep 2025)
Loan test (FHA, VA, USDA) in Iowa
- VA. Test results are valid for 90 days from the date the local health authority certifies them, unless the local authority says otherwise. VA’s chapter names no list of contaminants: the water must meet the local health authority’s requirements, or EPA guidelines where it has none. Your lender may ask for specific tests.
- FHA. A well test is required in the situations FHA’s handbook lists, among others, and the report may not be more than 180 days old at disbursement.
- USDA. Guaranteed loans need a water quality test for a private well, done by the local health authority or a state-certified lab, and no more than 180 days old at closing.
Lenders can ask for more (extra tests, a particular lab, who takes the sample): ask your lender before you book. Federal rules as read on Nov 3, 2026 source 1 source 2 source 3. Full comparison: VA, FHA and USDA well water test requirements. Loan test kits sold by mail, with price and days to results: kits compared.
What Iowa labs say on their own websites
State lists say what a lab is certified for, not whether it takes your sample or what it costs. We read each lab’s own site; a second reader re-checked every fact below. 10 labs on this list are on our register so far; 4 say they take homeowner samples and 3 print a price.
| Lab | Bacteria (coliform / E. coli) | Nitrate | Arsenic | Lead | Basic well panel | Home sale / loan package | Turnaround |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Analytical & Consulting Services Sergeant Bluff, IA | Drinking Water Coliform, Total + Coliform, E Coli (P/A) Package $ 20.25 per test source | Nitrogen, Nitrate (NO3) $ 30.25 per test source | – | – | – | – | – |
| Dubuque - City Environmental Monitoring Lab Dubuque, IA · You collect the sample with the lab's bottles | 24 hr. Total Coliform + E. Coli MPN $ 40.00 source | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Dubuque County Health Department Dubuque, IA · You collect it, or lab staff can | Coliform Bacteria/E-coli- $20 source | Nitrate- $30 source | Arsenic Only Test- $30 source | Lead Test- $30 source | – | – | – |
Say they take homeowner samples: AgSource, ChemRight Laboratories, Dubuque - City Environmental Monitoring Lab, Dubuque County Health Department.
Prices exactly as each lab prints them, read 15 Nov 2026; re-checked every 90 days. Labs not shown have not been read yet or print nothing for homeowners. Confirm price and turnaround with the lab.
Labs by contaminant
Labs on the Iowa list for one test, with homeowner-accepting labs first.
Well water by county
Private-well population (USGS, 2015), arsenic estimate, radon zone and nearby labs for each county with at least 1,000 people on private wells, largest first.
Polk County19,076 on wellsLinn County17,321 on wellsDubuque County16,200 on wellsScott County14,027 on wellsJohnson County13,541 on wellsPottawattamie County12,980 on wellsJasper County12,102 on wellsBlack Hawk County9,670 on wellsWinneshiek County8,823 on wellsBenton County8,667 on wellsWoodbury County8,492 on wellsPlymouth County8,256 on wellsStory County8,174 on wellsDelaware County8,154 on wellsBuchanan County8,114 on wellsMuscatine County7,997 on wellsJackson County7,952 on wellsClayton County7,872 on wellsClinton County7,758 on wellsWapello County7,567 on wellsJones County7,470 on wellsCedar County7,083 on wellsMarshall County7,016 on wellsBremer County6,962 on wellsTama County6,782 on wellsMills County6,725 on wellsAllamakee County6,432 on wellsFayette County6,410 on wellsMarion County6,272 on wellsHarrison County5,950 on wellsButler County5,642 on wellsDavis County5,550 on wellsKossuth County5,239 on wellsFloyd County5,204 on wellsChickasaw County4,903 on wellsCerro Gordo County4,809 on wellsIowa County4,789 on wellsJefferson County4,712 on wellsMitchell County4,653 on wellsAppanoose County4,604 on wellsWebster County4,593 on wellsHardin County4,489 on wellsLouisa County4,468 on wellsPoweshiek County4,275 on wellsDallas County4,177 on wellsDickinson County4,113 on wellsGrundy County4,004 on wellsShelby County3,988 on wellsVan Buren County3,980 on wellsMahaska County3,916 on wellsSioux County3,882 on wellsGuthrie County3,874 on wellsKeokuk County3,774 on wellsHoward County3,751 on wellsHamilton County3,648 on wellsHancock County3,577 on wellsMonroe County3,531 on wellsCass County3,471 on wellsLucas County3,450 on wellsPage County3,382 on wellsFranklin County3,379 on wellsO'Brien County3,255 on wellsLee County3,195 on wellsUnion County3,127 on wellsMadison County3,096 on wellsMonona County2,911 on wellsWinnebago County2,853 on wellsWright County2,848 on wellsCrawford County2,838 on wellsAdair County2,797 on wellsFremont County2,730 on wellsDes Moines County2,680 on wellsWashington County2,613 on wellsGreene County2,612 on wellsAudubon County2,514 on wellsHenry County2,496 on wellsMontgomery County2,482 on wellsPalo Alto County2,482 on wellsHumboldt County2,437 on wellsCalhoun County2,434 on wellsRinggold County2,329 on wellsPocahontas County2,283 on wellsOsceola County2,240 on wellsWarren County2,206 on wellsIda County2,195 on wellsBoone County2,169 on wellsWorth County2,138 on wellsTaylor County2,133 on wellsEmmet County2,105 on wellsCherokee County1,940 on wellsWayne County1,737 on wellsSac County1,449 on wellsDecatur County1,170 on wells