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Certified Lab Directory

Certified Water Testing Labs in Colorado

Not every lab that will take your money is approved to test drinking water. In Colorado, that approval comes from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) — and it requires EPA-approved methods, annual proficiency tests, and on-site audits. Below are the 68 labs based in Colorado that currently hold it. If you're testing a private well, the EPA recommends doing this once a year, so it's worth finding one you like.

Certified drinking water labs in Colorado

CDPHE's report carries a column headed "Accepts Outside Samples," and it marks 40 of the 68 laboratories below as not accepting them. Those 40 are almost entirely city, water-district and other utility labs that test only their own systems — Denver Water and Rocky Mountain National Park among them. 28 are marked as accepting outside samples. The column below reproduces what CDPHE published; confirm with the lab before you send anything.

68 drinking water testing labs based in Colorado, sorted by city. The last column reproduces what the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) published about whether each lab accepts samples from the public: 28 yes, 40 no.
LabCityAccepts Outside Samples
Sangre De Cristo LaboratoryAlamosaYes
Arvada, City ofArvadaNo
Eurofins DenverArvadaYes
Eurofins Reservoirs Environmental, Inc.ArvadaYes
Aspen Consolidated San. Dist.AspenNo
Aurora, City ofAuroraNo
Eagle River W / S DistrictAvonYes
High Country Utility ServicesBasaltNo
Gilpin County Public Health AgencyBlack HawkYes
Boulder, City of Drinking Water LabBoulderNo
Broomfield, City & County - WTPBroomfieldNo
Broomfield, City & County - WWTPBroomfieldNo
Mid Valley Metropolitan DistrictCarbondaleNo
Plum Creek Water Reclamation AuthorityCastle RockNo
Clifton Water District - LabCliftonNo
Cherokee Metropolitan District Water Quality LaboratoryColorado SpringsNo
Colorado Springs UtilitiesColorado SpringsNo
El Paso County Health DepartmentColorado SpringsYes
Widefield Water and Sanitation District LaboratoryColorado SpringsNo
Colorado Analytical Laboratory - Commerce CityCommerce CityYes
South Adams County WSDCommerce CityNo
Craig, City ofCraigNo
Colorado Department of Health & EnvironmentDenverYes
Denver Water - National Western ComplexDenverNo
SGS North America, Inc. - DenverDenverYes
Green Analytical LaboratoriesDurangoYes
La Plata County Water Quality LaboratoryDurangoYes
Estes Park, Town ofEstes ParkNo
Rocky Mountain National ParkEstes ParkNo
GeoWater ServicesEvergreenYes
T & H Services LLC - Lab AKA: KIRA - CSCFort CarsonNo
Colorado State UniversityFort CollinsYes
Fort Collins, City ofFort CollinsNo
M.M.S Environmental LaboratoriesFort CollinsYes
Soldier Canyon Water Quality LaboratoryFort CollinsNo
Technology Laboratory, Inc.Fort CollinsYes
Fort Morgan, City ofFt. MorganYes
Golden, City ofGoldenNo
Hazen ResearchGoldenYes
North Table Mtn. W / S DistrictGoldenNo
Grand Junction, City of - WQLGrand JunctionNo
Grand Junction, City of - WWTP AKA PersigoGrand JunctionNo
Mesa County Public Health Regional LaboratoryGrand JunctionYes
Three Lakes W/S DistrictGrand LakeNo
IEH-Warren Analytical LaboratoryGreeleyYes
Weld County Department of Public Health & EnvironmentGreeleyYes
Gunnison, City ofGunnisonNo
Lafayette, City ofLafayetteNo
Colorado Analytical Laboratory - LakewoodLakewoodYes
Consolidated Mutual Water Co.LakewoodNo
Highlands Ranch Water and Sanitation DistrictLittletonNo
Longmont, City ofLongmontNo
EAnalytics LaboratoryLovelandYes
Loveland, City of - WQLLovelandNo
Project 7 Water AuthorityMontroseNo
Murray-Brown Laboratories, LLC.NorthglennYes
Northglenn, City ofNorthglennNo
Ute Water Conservancy DistrictPalisadeNo
Parker Water & Sanitation DistrictParkerNo
Pueblo Board of Water WorksPuebloNo
Pueblo Department of Public Health and EnvironmentPuebloYes
Snowmass W / S DistrictSnowmass VillageNo
ACZ Laboratories, Inc.Steamboat SpringsYes
Routt County Env. Health Dept.Steamboat SpringsYes
Northeast Colorado Health Dept.SterlingYes
Thornton, City ofThorntonNo
Westminster, City ofWestminsterNo
SGS North America, Inc. - Wheat RidgeWheat RidgeYes

Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE)'s published list does not include lab phone numbers, so none are shown here. Search the lab by name, or call the certification program below.

Certification status changes — labs are added, dropped, and suspended throughout the year. Before you mail a sample, confirm the lab still holds certification for the specific test you need. This list was pulled from the official source on .

This table covers the 68 certified labs located in Colorado. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) also certifies 28 labs based outside the state, which can often still run your sample — those are on the official list linked below.

Source: Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE), Laboratory Services Division, Drinking Water Laboratory Certification. Retrieved . List linked from https://cdphe.colorado.gov/dwlabs

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How lab certification works in Colorado

In Colorado, drinking water laboratories are certified by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) under the Drinking Water Laboratory Certification. The program operates within the EPA's national framework for drinking water lab certification: labs must use EPA-approved analytical methods, successfully analyze proficiency-test samples at least annually for each certified method and analyte, and pass periodic on-site audits (EPA, epa.gov/dwlabcert). Certification is issued per method and per analyte — so a lab certified for bacteria testing isn't automatically certified for metals or radiochemistry. When you call, name the specific test you need.

CDPHE publishes this list as a live report that carries no phone number and no website for any laboratory, so this page shows name and city only — we don't fill that gap with numbers the state didn't publish. Many entries are utility, municipal and county labs that test their own systems, which is why the table above reproduces CDPHE's "Accepts Outside Samples" column. CDPHE lists no phone line for drinking water lab certification either — questions go to cdphe_labcert@state.co.us.

Common questions about Colorado water testing labs

Who certifies water testing labs in Colorado?

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE), through the Drinking Water Laboratory Certification. The program follows the EPA's national framework for drinking water laboratory certification, which requires EPA-approved test methods, at least annual proficiency testing, and periodic on-site audits. Source: Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE), Laboratory Services Division (https://cdphe.colorado.gov/dwlabs) and EPA (epa.gov/dwlabcert).

How many certified labs are in Colorado?

68 certified drinking water labs are located in Colorado, as of the official list we pulled on August 7, 2026. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) also certifies 28 labs based outside Colorado that can often still analyze your sample; those appear on the official list linked on this page. Certification changes throughout the year, so treat this as a starting point and confirm status with the lab. Source: Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE), Laboratory Services Division (https://cdphe.colorado.gov/dwlabs).

How often should I test my well water in Colorado?

The EPA recommends testing private wells annually for total coliform bacteria, nitrates, total dissolved solids, and pH — and testing immediately after flooding, well repairs, nearby construction, or any change in your water's taste, odor, or color. Your local health department can tell you which contaminants are common in Colorado groundwater. Source: EPA, Protect Your Home's Water (epa.gov/privatewells).

Can I use a lab that isn't on this list?

This list covers labs located in Colorado that were on the official list published by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) as of August 7, 2026. Certification changes during the year, so a lab missing from this page may have been certified since then — the official source linked above always has the current list and it also includes certified labs based outside the state. What we'd avoid is any lab that can't show a current drinking water certification at all. The EPA's guidance is to only use certified laboratories for drinking water testing. Source: EPA, Protect Your Home's Water (epa.gov/privatewells).

What if the nearest certified lab is far from me?

Ask the lab about a mail-in collection kit — many certified labs ship one with instructions and pre-treated bottles. Timing matters for some tests (bacteria samples have a short window between collection and analysis), so follow the lab's collection instructions exactly. Your local health department is also worth a call; some offer private well testing for free. Source on health department testing: EPA, Protect Your Home's Water (epa.gov/privatewells).

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