Idaho Bureau of Laboratories

At a glance

What it is certified to test

6 of the 9 common well tests on the ID list (see which)

Price

no per-test price printed on the lab’s website when we read it (15 Nov 2026): ask for a quote

Turnaround

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

Homeowner samples

yes (Idaho list)

Lab facts

Listed by

Idaho (Idaho Department of Health and Welfare - Idaho Bureau of Laboratories, Drinking Water Laboratory Certification)

Address

2220 Old Penitentiary Road, Boise, ID 83712 · Open in Google Maps

Phone

(208) 334-2235

Website

healthandwelfare.idaho.gov/providers/idaho-laboratories-and-testing/about-idaho-laboratories-and-testing

Not on the state list: found and checked by us, 15 Nov 2026

Certificate

The Idaho Bureau of Laboratories - EPA Region 10 Drinking Water Certificates (version 2026 EPA Region 10 Drinking Water Certificate Microbiology LT2: letter of January 22, 2026; 2025 EPA Region 10 Drinking Water Certificate Chemistry: letter of March 24, 2025; 2025 EPA Region 10 Drinking Water Certificate Microbiology: letter of May 23, 2025) prints no certificate ID or expiry date for this lab.

Public / homeowner samples

Public samples: yes (per state)

DHW's "Drinking Water and Private Wells" page (https://healthandwelfare.idaho.gov/health-wellness/environmental-health/drinking-water-and-private-wells), written for private well owners, lists this lab under "Idaho Certified Laboratories" - "Find a Water Testing Laboratory Near You". Call the lab to confirm it takes private-well samples and which tests it runs.

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*').

Idaho's principal state laboratory, certified by EPA Region 10 (letters in DHW's folder 'Idaho Bureau of Laboratories EPA Region 10 Drinking Water Certificates'); the letters say the certifications are due for renewal in 2027. Street and phone from DHW's private-wells page; ZIP 83712 as printed in the IBL footer of DHW's certificates (the EPA letters print Boise, ID 83702). DHW's program page says IBL takes some samples from the public and others only from agencies; its private-well form is in WebLink folder 2774 ('Test request forms for private well owners').

Nearest labs that take homeowner samples

1 other certified lab that takes homeowner samples is within 25 miles of this lab. 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: Ada County, ID

• Private wells: about 41,778 people, 10% of Ada County’s 434,211 residents (USGS, 2015); rank 2 of 44 counties in Idaho 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 1,475 private-well users (95% range 1,244 to 1,735; 2010 base), rank 9 of 44 in the state. A screening estimate, not a measurement of any well.
• Older homes (Census ACS 2020–2024): 27% of 211,440 housing units were built before 1980, below the state share of 39%. 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): 9 public systems serving this county reported EPA UCMR 5 results; 3 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 Idaho 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).