30 named for nitrate 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 nitrate in Iowa
30 labs on Iowa's official drinking-water lab list are certified to test for nitrate. All 30 are named for nitrate on the list. The Iowa list does not say which labs take samples from homeowners, so call a lab before you send one. 8 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 nitrate
| Lab | Location | Nitrate 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 |
| Analytical & Consulting Services | Sergeant Bluff, IA | Named on the official list | Public samples: ask the lab | 4/1/2028 |
| ChemRight Laboratories | Maquoketa, IA | Named on the official list | Public samples: ask the lab | 2/1/2027 |
| Culligan Analytical Laboratory | Rosemont, IL | Named on the official list | Public samples: ask the lab | 12/1/2028 |
| Dubuque - City Environmental Monitoring Lab | Dubuque, IA | Named on the official list | Public samples: ask the lab | 10/1/2028 |
| Eurofins - Cedar Falls | Cedar Falls, IA | Named on the official list | Public samples: ask the lab | 12/1/2027 |
| 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 |
| Ion Environmental Solutions | Muscatine, IA | Named on the official list | Public samples: ask the lab | 5/1/2028 |
| Iowa Soybean Association Water Lab | Ankeny, IA | Named on the official list | Public samples: ask the lab | 8/1/2027 |
| Linn County Public Health Department | Cedar Rapids, IA | Named on the official list | Public samples: ask the lab | 10/1/2028 |
| Microbac Laboratories - Newton | Newton, IA | Named on the official list | Public samples: ask the lab | 2/1/2028 |
| Microbac Laboratories - Waterloo | Waterloo, IA | Named on the official list | Public samples: ask the lab | 9/1/2028 |
| 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 - 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 |
| Quad Cities Metallurgical Laboratory | Davenport, IA | Named on the official list | Public samples: ask the lab | 7/1/2027 |
| Siouxland District Health Department | Sioux City, IA | Named on the official list | Public samples: ask the lab | 4/1/2028 |
| State Hygienic Laboratory - Ankeny | Ankeny, IA | Named on the official list | Public samples: ask the lab | 4/1/2028 |
| State Hygienic Laboratory - Coralville | Coralville, IA | Named on the official list | Public samples: ask the lab | 2/1/2028 |
| State Hygienic Laboratory - Lakeside | Milford, IA | Named on the official list | Public samples: ask the lab | 7/1/2027 |
| 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 |
| Muscatine Water Pollution Control Plant | Muscatine, 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) | 10/1/2027 |
| Waverly Water & Wastewater Laboratory | Waverly, 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) | 6/1/2027 |
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 nitrate in Iowa
Nitrate has no taste or smell, and a lab report can state the same water in two units that differ by a factor of 4.43. Read our nitrate explainer.
EPA advises private-well owners to test every year for total coliform bacteria, nitrates, total dissolved solids and pH. [1]
Iowa guidance that mentions nitrate:
- 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]
- 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]
- 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]
About 494,022 people in Iowa used private wells in 2015, by the USGS estimate of people on domestic self-supplied water. [5] 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
- U.S. EPA, Protect your home's water
- 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
- 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