27 named for lead itself on the list.
Per the state list or a state web page. Call to confirm.
Located outside Illinois but on its list.
USGS estimate for Illinois.
How many labs test for lead in Illinois
27 labs on Illinois's official drinking-water lab list are certified to test for lead. All 27 are named for lead on the list. The Illinois list does not say which labs take samples from homeowners, so call a lab before you send one. 18 are located outside Illinois.
The list is published by the Illinois EPA - Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program (IL ELAP, chemistry) and Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH, water microbiology). List versions on file: 12/09/2025 (date in the file name; the PDF prints no date); Revision Date Thursday, December 4, 2025; TNI LAMS as fetched 2026-11-15; 12/09/2025 (date in the file name; the PDF prints no date); TNI LAMS as fetched 2026-11-15. Fetched 2026-11-15 (UTC).
Illinois labs certified for lead
| Lab | Location | Lead certification | Public samples | Cert. expiry |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ALS-Global - Middletown | Middletown, PA | Named on the official list | Public samples: ask the lab | 11/30/2026 |
| Continental Water Laboratory | Sacramento, CA | Named on the official list | Public samples: ask the lab | 2/28/2027 |
| Culligan Analytical Laboratory | Rosemont, IL | Named on the official list | Public samples: ask the lab | 2/28/2027 (IL ELAP chemistry); Nov 2026 (IDPH microbiology) |
| Element Materials Technology Lafayette | Lafayette, LA | Named on the official list | Public samples: ask the lab | 4/30/2027 |
| Eurofins Chicago | Tinley Park, IL | Named on the official list | Public samples: ask the lab | 5/31/2027 |
| Eurofins Eaton Analytical, LLC - Pomona | Pomona, CA | Named on the official list | Public samples: ask the lab | 3/31/2027 |
| Eurofins Eaton Analytical, LLC -South Bend, IN | South Bend, IN | Named on the official list | Public samples: ask the lab | 9/30/2027 (IL ELAP chemistry); Jun 2026 (IDPH microbiology) Date on list has passed |
| Eurofins Lancaster Laboratories Environment Testing, LLC | Lancaster, PA | Named on the official list | Public samples: ask the lab | 1/31/2027 |
| First Environmental Laboratories, Inc. | Naperville, IL | Named on the official list | Public samples: ask the lab | 2/28/2027 |
| GEL Laboratories, LLC | Charleston, SC | Named on the official list | Public samples: ask the lab | 1/31/2028 |
| Lake County Environmental Laboratory | Libertyville, IL | Named on the official list | Public samples: ask the lab | 1/31/2027 (IL ELAP chemistry); Feb 2026 (IDPH microbiology) Date on list has passed |
| Metiri Analytical Group, Inc. fka. CWM Environmental | Kittanning, PA | Named on the official list | Public samples: ask the lab | 2/28/2027 |
| Microbac Laboratories, Inc. | Merrillville, IN | Named on the official list | Public samples: ask the lab | 6/30/2027 (IL ELAP chemistry); Mar 2026 (IDPH microbiology) Date on list has passed |
| Microbac Laboratories, Inc. - Marietta Division | Marietta, OH | Named on the official list | Public samples: ask the lab | 5/31/2027 |
| National Testing Laboratories, Ltd. | Ypsilanti, MI | Named on the official list | Public samples: ask the lab | 4/30/2027 (IL ELAP chemistry); Nov 2027 (IDPH microbiology) |
| Pace Analytical National Center for Testing & Innovation TN | Mt. Juliet, TN | Named on the official list | Public samples: ask the lab | 11/30/2027 |
| Pace Analytical Services, LLC - Mansfield fka Alpha Analytical, LLC- Mansfield MA | Mansfield, MA | Named on the official list | Public samples: ask the lab | 6/30/2027 |
| Pace Analytical Services, LLC – Hazelwood, Missouri | Hazelwood, MO | Named on the official list | Public samples: ask the lab | 8/31/2027 (IL ELAP chemistry); May 2026 (IDPH microbiology) Date on list has passed |
| Pace Analytical Services, LLC- Ormond Beach FL | Ormond Beach, FL | Named on the official list | Public samples: ask the lab | 5/31/2027 |
| Pace Analytical Services, LLC. - Minneapolis MN | Minneapolis, MN | Named on the official list | Public samples: ask the lab | 12/31/2026 |
| Pace Analytical Services, LLC.- Peoria | Peoria, IL | Named on the official list | Public samples: ask the lab | 7/31/2027 (IL ELAP chemistry); Jun 2026 (IDPH microbiology) Date on list has passed |
| SGS North America Inc. - Dayton | Dayton, NJ | Named on the official list | Public samples: ask the lab | 6/30/2027 |
| SGS North America Inc. - Scott | Scott, LA | Named on the official list | Public samples: ask the lab | 10/31/2027 |
| Sterling Labs (fka Environmental Monitoring and Tech) | Des Plaines, IL | Named on the official list | Public samples: ask the lab | 7/31/2027 |
| Test, Inc. | Peru, IL | Named on the official list | Public samples: ask the lab | 4/30/2027 (IL ELAP chemistry); Nov 2027 (IDPH microbiology) |
| American Water Central Laboratory | Belleville, IL | 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) | 10/31/2027 |
| City of Chicago, Water Purification Laboratories | Chicago, IL | 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) | 7/31/2027 (IL ELAP chemistry); May 2026 (IDPH microbiology) Date on list has passed |
How the Illinois list marks public samples (whole list). Not stated in the lists. IDPH marks each microbiology lab's 'Lab Type' (Commercial, Municipal or Health Department); that is not a statement about homeowners' samples.
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 lead in Illinois
On a private well, lead almost always comes from the metal the water touches on its way to your glass, and corrosive water decides how much. Read our lead explainer.
About 1,151,113 people in Illinois used private wells in 2015, by the USGS estimate of people on domestic self-supplied water. [1] 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: Illinois.
Other tests in Illinois
- USGS, Estimated use of water in the United States, county-level data for 2015 (Dieter et al., ver. 2.0, 2018)
- IEPA Accredited Laboratories (Primary Labs / Secondary Labs) - Laboratories Accredited for Chemical Analysis + Illinois Department of Public Health - Certified Water Microbiology Laboratories + TNI LAMS fields of accreditation (Drinking Water, accrediting body IL ELAP) (official list)
- IEPA Accredited Laboratories (Primary Labs / Secondary Labs) - Laboratories Accredited for Chemical Analysis + TNI LAMS fields of accreditation (Drinking Water, accrediting body IL ELAP) (official list)
IEPA Accredited Laboratories (Primary Labs / Secondary Labs) - Laboratories Accredited for Chemical Analysis + TNI LAMS fields of accreditation (Drinking Water, accrediting body IL ELAP).
Official source