La Plata County Water Quality Laboratory

At a glance

What it is certified to test

1 of the 9 common well tests on the CO list (see which)

Price

not published on the state list: ask the lab for a quote

Turnaround

not stated on the state list or the lab’s website: ask when you order

Homeowner samples

yes (Colorado list)

Lab facts

Listed by

Colorado (Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) - Laboratory Services Division, Drinking water lab certification)

Address

Durango, CO 81303 · Open in Google Maps

Public / homeowner samples

Public samples: yes (per state)

CDPHE's 'Drinking Water Lab Certifications' report (cdphe.colorado.gov/dwlabs), column "Accepts Outside Samples": Yes. CDPHE does not say which outside samples a lab takes or on what terms; its 'Water testing services' page says "Before sending samples to another lab, please ensure you have checked its sample submission criteria". Call first.

Left blank on the list

The Colorado list (version Live report, no edit date shown; data read by the report at 2026-11-02 20:39 UTC (Looker Studio dataTimestamp)) gives no phone, website for this lab.

Certification record

Certificate ID

CO Lab Cert ID CO01070

Issued by

Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) - Laboratory Services Division, Drinking water lab certification (certification program)

List version

CDPHE Drinking Water Lab Certifications (Looker Studio report on cdphe.colorado.gov/dwlabs), version Live report, no edit date shown; data read by the report at 2026-11-02 20:39 UTC (Looker Studio dataTimestamp)

We fetched it

2 Nov 2026 (file SHA-256 f1d129b567c5…) · open the state file

Tests on the state list

• Named on the official list The state list names this analyte (or a column for it) for this lab.
• Group-level certification Certified for a parent group (e.g. 'Inorganics') that includes this analyte. Confirm the specific test with the lab.
• Partial group certification The list marks the group as 'Partial'. Confirm this analyte with the lab.
• Subcontracted The lab sends this analyte to another accredited lab (MDH 'X*').

CDPHE lists 2 drinking-water analytes this lab is certified for, with lab status Active (test groups: Microbiology). CDPHE SDWIS Lab ID CO127. CDPHE: 'Accept Samples on Saturday': No. CDPHE's report shows no certificate expiry date or phone, and no street address.

Nearest labs that take homeowner samples

No other certified lab that takes homeowner samples lies within 150 miles of this lab; the nearest is 153 miles away, so ask labs whether they accept samples by mail. Distances are straight-line from the address on the state list (approx. = ZIP-code centre). “Takes homeowner samples” comes from a state list column or the lab’s own website, as named.

Price and turnaround as printed on each lab’s own website and checked by a second reader; – = not published or not read yet.

Around this lab: La Plata County, CO

• Private wells: about 5,298 people, 10% of La Plata County’s 54,688 residents (USGS, 2015); rank 15 of 64 counties in Colorado by people on wells.
• At house sale: La Plata County Public Health Department has a septic system rule (La Plata County OWTS regulation, Continued Use Permit (section not cited in guide)). What it requires

• EPA radon zone (indoor air): Zone 1: highest potential (average indoor radon may be greater than 4 pCi/L). EPA says the zone map should not decide whether one home needs testing.
• Arsenic above 10 µg/L (USGS model): about 137 private-well users (95% range 110 to 176; 2010 base), rank 21 of 64 in the state. A screening estimate, not a measurement of any well.
• Older homes (Census ACS 2020–2024): 32% of 28,990 housing units were built before 1980, below the state share of 40%. Homes built before 1986 are more likely to have lead solder or fittings, so test tap water for lead there.
• PFAS in public water nearby (public supply, not your well): 1 public system serving this county reported EPA UCMR 5 results; 0 had a PFOA or PFOS sample at or above 4.0 ng/L.

County figures describe where the lab is, not the lab. Sources: USGS 2015 water use and 2017 arsenic estimates, EPA radon zones, Census ACS table B25034 (2020–2024), EPA UCMR 5 (2023–2026); details and links on the sources page.

Before you send a sample

Call the lab to confirm it's currently certified for the exact test and method, that it accepts samples from homeowners, and how to collect and ship them. Bacteria samples have short holding times. Status can change between list updates. To check a status, contact the Colorado certification program.

Is this your lab?

Labs can ask for corrections through the agency that publishes their state list. Homeowner service, prices and turnaround above come only from the lab’s own website. To ask us to correct or remove this listing, write to us (how we handle listings).