About this list
- Agency
- Louisiana Department of Health (LDH), Office of Public Health - Laboratory Certification Program (Safe Drinking Water)
- Format
- PDF x2 (chemistry: per-lab scopes, analyte-level; microbiology: lab list with methods)
- Homeowner flag
- LDH's chemistry list prints 'Accepts Commercial Samples: Yes/No' for each lab. 'Yes' means the lab accepts commercial samples, which is broader than 'homeowner', so call before you send a sample. The microbiology list does not say.
Certified as ofCurrent as of 2/12/2026
LDH - 2026 List of Laboratories Certified by Louisiana for Drinking Water Analyses - Chemistry. Fetched 2026-11-15 (UTC).
Official sourceTesting your well in Louisiana
How often to test
Free testing
We found no statewide free testing program in Louisiana. Ask your county health department whether it runs one.
Testing programs and help
- You can pick up a bacteria sampling kit at an LDH lab or parish health unit, or order one online for home delivery and return it yourself. A sanitarian can also come to your home and collect the sample, for a higher fee. [3]
- Communities Unlimited field staff, in a program funded by the US EPA, do in-person well assessments in Louisiana: a visual inspection, a check of well construction against state standards and, when possible, a look at the water source. [4]
Buying or selling a home
- Louisiana does not require well testing when a home is sold, but lenders often ask for it. LDH offers a 'Water & Sewer Approval Request for Loan Letter' order online: a sanitarian collects a total coliform/E. coli sample and LDH drafts a letter for the owner or lender. For lender-required chemistry tests (lead, nitrate, arsenic), LDH lists certified labs. [1]
State lab and rules
- LDH offers bacteriological testing of private wells through parish health units and its labs; you can start by contacting your parish health unit sanitarian. For other contaminants, LDH publishes a list of LDH-certified drinking water chemistry labs. [5]
What testing costs at the state lab
Louisiana Department of Health, bacteriological sampling instructions (no effective date printed; online orders add a $3.50 service fee)
| Test | Price |
|---|---|
| Bacteria kit (total coliform / E. coli), self-collected | $40 |
Prices as published when we checked on 2 Nov 2026. Private certified labs set their own prices.
Show the numbers
| Item | Value | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Zone 1 | 0 parishes | |
| Zone 2 | 0 parishes | |
| Zone 3 | 64 parishes |
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
- Louisiana Department of Health, Real estate well testing requirements
- Louisiana Department of Health, Private Water Well Testing in Louisiana: What You Need to Know to Protect Your Water (brochure)
- Louisiana Department of Health, Bacteriological private water well sampling instructions
- Louisiana Department of Health, Private water well assessments
- Louisiana Department of Health, Private well testing information
- U.S. EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county list (EPA 402/A-16/001, spreadsheet Sep 2025)
Loan test (FHA, VA, USDA) in Louisiana
- 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.
Labs by contaminant
Labs on the Louisiana 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.
St. Tammany Parish66,008 on wellsTangipahoa Parish35,766 on wellsAscension Parish33,565 on wellsLafayette Parish33,218 on wellsVermilion Parish27,383 on wellsLivingston Parish25,051 on wellsCalcasieu Parish24,567 on wellsCaddo Parish18,379 on wellsWashington Parish16,979 on wellsVernon Parish15,575 on wellsAcadia Parish15,548 on wellsBossier Parish13,833 on wellsIberia Parish13,066 on wellsSabine Parish12,546 on wellsSt. Martin Parish10,108 on wellsBeauregard Parish10,103 on wellsSt. Landry Parish8,095 on wellsFranklin Parish7,967 on wellsDe Soto Parish7,514 on wellsSt. Helena Parish6,531 on wellsNatchitoches Parish6,384 on wellsRichland Parish5,889 on wellsRapides Parish5,589 on wellsJefferson Davis Parish4,815 on wellsOuachita Parish4,788 on wellsWebster Parish4,512 on wellsEvangeline Parish4,212 on wellsBienville Parish4,068 on wellsEast Feliciana Parish3,341 on wellsAllen Parish3,181 on wellsEast Baton Rouge Parish2,984 on wellsPointe Coupee Parish2,839 on wellsGrant Parish2,758 on wellsOrleans Parish2,585 on wellsWinn Parish2,518 on wellsRed River Parish2,510 on wellsUnion Parish2,412 on wellsLincoln Parish2,350 on wellsAvoyelles Parish2,262 on wellsClaiborne Parish2,063 on wellsMorehouse Parish2,004 on wellsIberville Parish1,932 on wellsJackson Parish1,881 on wellsSt. Mary Parish1,684 on wellsCatahoula Parish1,262 on wells