FL Dept. of Health - Columbia County Health Department

At a glance

What it is certified to test

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

Price

from $30 (Bacteriological water analysis), as printed on the lab’s website, read 14 Nov 2026

Turnaround

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

Homeowner samples

yes (lab’s own website, read 14 Nov 2026)

Lab facts

Listed by

Florida (Florida Department of Health (DOH) - Environmental Laboratory Certification Program (NELAP))

Address

135 NE Hernando Avenue, Ste 031B, Lake City, FL 32055 · Open in Google Maps

Phone

(386) 758-1066

Website

columbia.floridahealth.gov/programs-and-services/environmental-health/drinking-water

Not on the state list: found and checked by us, 14 Nov 2026

Public / homeowner samples

Homeowner samples: yes (lab’s website)

Not stated in the list.

Certification record

Certificate ID

FL DOH E22787

Issued by

Florida Department of Health (DOH) - Environmental Laboratory Certification Program (NELAP) (certification program)

List version

Florida DOH - Laboratories Certified Under NELAP (DEP Qlik app): Analyte Search + Organization Name and Location Search, Matrix = Drinking Water, Certification Status = Accredited, Active labs, version DOH Version: 11/07/2026 08:30:01 (Qlik app refresh 11/9/2026 4:26:47 AM; live database)

We fetched it

15 Nov 2026 (file SHA-256 7a6c0a398703…) · 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*').

Florida DOH lists 2 drinking-water analytes (across 2 methods) this lab is NELAP-accredited for. DOH lab type: State. DEP's Laboratory page, which links this list, advises the public to "contact only commercial laboratories from the results, as utility, university, research, and state laboratories do not accept public samples". A Florida DOH county health department laboratory. DOH's Well Water Testing page says private-well collection kits are provided by a county health department; it does not say whether this laboratory tests private wells, so ask the county health department.

Homeowner service and turnaround (lab’s own website)

• Takes homeowner samples: yes. The lab’s site says: “Private citizens wishing to have their well water tested for bacterial contamination will be provided with a sample bottle and instructions for taking the sample.” source
• Who collects: You collect it, or lab staff can. Sampling fee as printed: the fee for the sample collection and analysis is $130. source

From the lab’s own website, read 14 Nov 2026 and re-read by a second checker; next check due by 12 Feb 2027. Certification fields come from the state list only.

Prices the lab prints, compared

• Bacteria (coliform / E. coli): $30 here, $10 less than the state-run lab’s $40 (Bacteria (E. coli and coliforms), private testing through the state lab; Florida Department of Health, Bureau of Public Health Laboratories well water testing page (no effective date printed; page last modified Jun 9, 2026), checked 2 Nov 2026) source.
• Bacteria (coliform / E. coli) against other Florida labs: median $37.50 across 8 other labs that print a price on their own site; 2 of them charge less than $30.

Comparison uses the lowest single-test price this lab prints; panels and ranges are left out. For comparison only, not a quote.

Nearest labs that take homeowner samples

No other lab that takes homeowner samples is within 25 miles of this lab; the nearest is 47 miles away. 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: Columbia County, FL

• Private wells: about 47,284 people, 69% of Columbia County’s 68,348 residents (USGS, 2015); rank 19 of 67 counties in Florida by people on wells.

• EPA radon zone (indoor air): Zone 2: moderate potential (average indoor radon may be between 2 and 4 pCi/L). EPA says the zone map should not decide whether one home needs testing.
• Arsenic above 10 µg/L (USGS model): about 1,131 private-well users (95% range 729 to 1,736; 2010 base), rank 16 of 67 in the state. A screening estimate, not a measurement of any well.
• Older homes (Census ACS 2020–2024): 32% of 30,300 housing units were built before 1980, below the state share of 34%. 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 Florida 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).