About this list
- Agency
- Indiana Department of Health (IDOH) - IDOH Laboratories, Drinking Water Laboratory Certification
- Format
- In-state labs: IDOH's 'Water Test Facilities Application' map (certified tests and tests offered per lab, no certification numbers or expiry); out-of-state labs: table on the program page (Lab ID, certified analytes); radiochemistry labs: a second table on the program page
- Homeowner flag
- Yes for IDOH's own laboratory (IDOH: "Samples are accepted from private citizens."). No for the out-of-state labs IDOH marks "THIS LAB DOES NOT ACCEPT SAMPLES FROM THE PUBLIC". Not stated for the other labs.
Certified as oflayer data edited 2026-08-17
IDOH Water Test Facilities Application (in-state drinking water laboratories). Fetched 2026-11-07 (UTC).
Official sourceTesting your well in Indiana
How often to test
- The Indiana Department of Health (IDOH) recommends, at minimum, annual testing of private wells, because water quality can change. [1]
- IDOH's state lab encourages all well owners to test their water yearly for nitrates, calling the nitrate + nitrite test a good indicator of overall water quality. [2]
Free testing
We found no statewide free testing program in Indiana. Ask your county health department whether it runs one.
Testing programs and help
- IDOH says contacting an IDOH-certified drinking water lab in your area is the best way to learn which tests your water needs, how to collect the sample, how long results take and the total cost. For help with questions and understanding results, it lists your local or county health department, IDOH and Purdue Extension, among others. [1]
State lab and rules
- Nitrate and fluoride samples must be mailed or returned to the lab within 72 hours, and metals samples within 14 days of collection; reports follow within 30 days (nitrate, fluoride) or 21 days (metals) after the lab receives the sample. [2]
- IDOH Health Laboratories manages the certification of drinking water labs and publishes a list of certified drinking water labs in Indiana. [1]
What testing costs at the state lab
Indiana Department of Health Laboratories, Water Testing page, 'Tests Available to the Public for a Fee' (no effective date printed; page as saved 2026-11-03)
| Test | Price |
|---|---|
| Nitrate + nitrite (as N) | $10 per sample (plus $6.50 shipping and handling per order) |
| Fluoride (well water) | $10 per sample (plus shipping) |
| Arsenic, lead and copper (one kit, one sample) | $20 per kit (plus $6.50 shipping) |
Prices as published when we checked on 3 Nov 2026. Private certified labs set their own prices.
Show the numbers
| Item | Value | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Zone 1 | 57 counties | |
| Zone 2 | 35 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
- Indiana Department of Health, Environmental Public Health, Well Water Quality and Testing
- Indiana Department of Health Laboratories, Water Testing
- U.S. EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county list (EPA 402/A-16/001, spreadsheet Sep 2025)
Loan test (FHA, VA, USDA) in Indiana
- 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 Indiana 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. 17 labs on this list are on our register so far; 5 say they take homeowner samples and 1 print a price.
| Lab | Bacteria (coliform / E. coli) | Nitrate | Arsenic | Lead | Basic well panel | Home sale / loan package | Turnaround |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marion County Public Health Department Indianapolis, IN · Lab staff collect the sample | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
Say they take homeowner samples: Criterion Water Labs, LLC, Delta Water Management Group, Inc., HML, Inc, Marion County Public Health Department, Sandhill Environmental Services, LLC.
Prices exactly as each lab prints them, read 14 Nov 2026 to 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 Indiana 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.
Elkhart County92,174 on wellsMarion County80,756 on wellsSt. Joseph County76,774 on wellsHamilton County63,038 on wellsHendricks County56,271 on wellsAllen County56,004 on wellsKosciusko County55,191 on wellsPorter County50,977 on wellsLake County45,859 on wellsHancock County42,642 on wellsLaPorte County40,916 on wellsTippecanoe County38,280 on wellsMadison County37,231 on wellsDelaware County32,952 on wellsLaGrange County31,668 on wellsMorgan County29,740 on wellsVigo County28,377 on wellsNoble County26,778 on wellsJohnson County26,186 on wellsBoone County25,844 on wellsMarshall County25,537 on wellsBartholomew County24,917 on wellsSteuben County23,923 on wellsShelby County23,618 on wellsHoward County22,785 on wellsJasper County22,626 on wellsWhitley County20,979 on wellsGrant County19,782 on wellsHenry County19,398 on wellsStarke County17,632 on wellsDeKalb County17,291 on wellsWayne County17,018 on wellsCass County16,521 on wellsMontgomery County15,673 on wellsMiami County15,457 on wellsPutnam County15,222 on wellsAdams County14,901 on wellsWhite County14,333 on wellsWells County14,122 on wellsCarroll County14,058 on wellsJackson County13,838 on wellsHuntington County13,223 on wellsOwen County13,087 on wellsVanderburgh County12,550 on wellsWabash County12,534 on wellsPosey County12,322 on wellsClinton County11,837 on wellsDecatur County11,696 on wellsRandolph County11,655 on wellsFulton County11,397 on wellsFranklin County11,276 on wellsJay County9,209 on wellsDaviess County9,049 on wellsRipley County9,041 on wellsWashington County8,905 on wellsRush County8,886 on wellsPulaski County8,700 on wellsParke County8,603 on wellsClay County8,587 on wellsOrange County8,352 on wellsNewton County7,887 on wellsTipton County7,725 on wellsMonroe County7,380 on wellsFountain County7,283 on wellsDearborn County7,270 on wellsJennings County7,086 on wellsHarrison County7,084 on wellsKnox County6,523 on wellsSpencer County6,401 on wellsGreene County6,294 on wellsFayette County6,093 on wellsGibson County5,472 on wellsWarren County5,458 on wellsWarrick County5,076 on wellsLawrence County4,959 on wellsClark County4,384 on wellsDubois County4,289 on wellsSullivan County3,914 on wellsBlackford County3,874 on wellsCrawford County3,596 on wellsBrown County3,594 on wellsUnion County3,462 on wellsPerry County3,347 on wellsVermillion County3,091 on wellsBenton County3,090 on wellsFloyd County2,841 on wellsMartin County2,802 on wellsJefferson County2,496 on wellsSwitzerland County2,115 on wellsPike County1,927 on wellsScott County1,710 on wells