17 named for arsenic itself on the list.
Per the state list or a state web page. Call to confirm.
Located outside Iowa but on its list.
USGS estimate for Iowa.
How many labs test for arsenic in Iowa
17 labs on Iowa's official drinking-water lab list are certified to test for arsenic. All 17 are named for arsenic on the list. The Iowa list does not say which labs take samples from homeowners, so call a lab before you send one. 9 are located outside Iowa.
The list is published by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) - Environmental Laboratory Certification Program. List version on file: Date Generated: 11/14/2026 (LabCert, live database). Fetched 2026-11-15 (UTC).
Iowa labs certified for arsenic
| Lab | Location | Arsenic certification | Public samples | Cert. expiry |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AgSource | Ellsworth, IA | Named on the official list | Public samples: ask the lab | 2/1/2028 |
| American Water - Belleville | Belleville, IL | Named on the official list | Public samples: ask the lab | 11/1/2027 |
| Ames City Lab | Ames, IA | Named on the official list | Public samples: ask the lab | 10/1/2027 |
| Culligan Analytical Laboratory | Rosemont, IL | Named on the official list | Public samples: ask the lab | 12/1/2028 |
| Eurofins - Chicago | Tinley Park, IL | Named on the official list | Public samples: ask the lab | 5/1/2028 |
| Eurofins - Lancaster | Lancaster, PA | Named on the official list | Public samples: ask the lab | 3/1/2028 |
| Eurofins - South Bend | South Bend, IN | Named on the official list | Public samples: ask the lab | 11/1/2027 |
| Foundation Analytical Laboratory | Cherokee, IA | Named on the official list | Public samples: ask the lab | 6/1/2028 |
| Microbac Laboratories - Newton | Newton, IA | Named on the official list | Public samples: ask the lab | 2/1/2028 |
| Midwest Laboratories | Omaha, NE | Named on the official list | Public samples: ask the lab | 5/1/2027 |
| Pace Analytical - Mt. Juliet | Mt. Juliet, TN | Named on the official list | Public samples: ask the lab | 6/1/2028 |
| Pace Analytical Services - Minneapolis | Minneapolis, MN | Named on the official list | Public samples: ask the lab | 6/1/2027 |
| Pace Analytical Services - Peoria | Peoria, IL | Named on the official list | Public samples: ask the lab | 9/1/2027 |
| QC Analytical Services | Le Claire, IA | Named on the official list | Public samples: ask the lab | 10/1/2026 Date on list has passed |
| State Hygienic Laboratory - Ankeny | Ankeny, IA | Named on the official list | Public samples: ask the lab | 4/1/2028 |
| Cedar Rapids Utilities Laboratory | Cedar Rapids, IA | Named on the official list | Public samples: ask the lab Looks like a utility or municipal lab, judging by the name (our label, not the state list) | 6/1/2028 |
| Des Moines Water Works Lab | Des Moines, IA | Named on the official list | Public samples: ask the lab Looks like a utility or municipal lab, judging by the name (our label, not the state list) | 3/1/2028 |
How the Iowa list marks public samples (whole list). 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."
Before you send a sample, call the lab to confirm it is currently certified for the exact test and method, that it accepts samples from homeowners, and how to collect and ship them. Status can change between list updates.
Why test for arsenic in Iowa
Arsenic is invisible, tasteless and mostly natural, and it comes in two forms that respond very differently to treatment. Read our arsenic explainer.
Iowa guidance that mentions arsenic:
- 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. [1]
- 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. [2]
USGS estimates that the most private-well users with arsenic above 10 µg/L, EPA's limit for public water, live in Kossuth County, Webster County and Boone County (about 1,662 people in Kossuth County, 2010 base year). USGS describes this kind of estimate as useful "for broad screening of the population at risk", so it says nothing certain about any one well. [3]
Show the numbers
| Item | Value | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Kossuth County | 1,662 people (2010 base year) | |
| Webster County | 1,543 people (2010 base year) | |
| Boone County | 1,532 people (2010 base year) | |
| Hancock County | 1,397 people (2010 base year) | |
| Dallas County | 967 people (2010 base year) | |
| Pottawattamie County | 945 people (2010 base year) |
USGS model estimate for broad screening, not a measurement of any well. Only a test tells you about your own well. Source: USGS, Estimated county level domestic well population with arsenic greater than 10 micrograms per liter (Ayotte, Medalie and Qi, 2017), accessed 2026-11-01.
About 494,022 people in Iowa used private wells in 2015, by the USGS estimate of people on domestic self-supplied water. [4] Federal limits are written for public water systems, not private wells, so testing is up to the owner.
For tests that depend on your home (farms nearby, old plumbing, a new baby), use the which-tests checklist. When results arrive, check your numbers against EPA's limits. State guidance, county data and every lab: Iowa.
Other tests in Iowa
- Iowa DNR, Private Well Program: Well Testing
- Iowa DNR / Iowa HHS, Private Well Grants Program: Guidance on Qualifying Expenses (updated Jul 8, 2026)
- USGS, Estimated county level domestic well population with arsenic greater than 10 micrograms per liter (Ayotte, Medalie and Qi, 2017)
- USGS, Estimated use of water in the United States, county-level data for 2015 (Dieter et al., ver. 2.0, 2018)
- Iowa DNR LabCert - List of Certified Labs (Drinking Water program) + Find a Lab analyte search + Lab Details (official list)
Iowa DNR LabCert - List of Certified Labs (Drinking Water program) + Find a Lab analyte search + Lab Details.
Official source