Sterling Labs (fka Environmental Monitoring and Tech)

At a glance

What it is certified to test

3 of the 9 common well tests on the IL list (see which)

Price

no per-test price printed on the lab’s website when we read it (14 Nov 2026): ask for a quote

Turnaround

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

Homeowner samples

not stated: ask the lab

Lab facts

Listed by

Illinois (Illinois EPA - Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program (IL ELAP, chemistry) and Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH, water microbiology))

Address

509 N.3rd Avenue, Des Plaines, IL 60016 · Open in Google Maps

Phone

(847) 324-3341

Website

thesterlinglab.com

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

Public / homeowner samples

Public samples: ask the lab

Not stated in the list.

Certification record

Certificate ID

IEPA 100256

Issued by

Illinois EPA - Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program (IL ELAP, chemistry) and Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH, water microbiology) (certification program)

Expiry on the list

7/31/2027 · expires in 258 days

List version

IEPA Accredited Laboratories (Primary Labs / Secondary Labs) - Laboratories Accredited for Chemical Analysis + TNI LAMS fields of accreditation (Drinking Water, accrediting body IL ELAP), version 12/09/2025 (date in the file name; the PDF prints no date); TNI LAMS as fetched 2026-11-15

We fetched it

15 Nov 2026 (file SHA-256 a9331e2f0302…) · 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*').

IEPA's chemistry list names no analytes; the 23 drinking-water analytes listed here are the lab's IL ELAP fields of accreditation in TNI LAMS (TNI02029), status Accredited. TNI LAMS records 'Commercial Samples: Yes' for this lab.

Nearest labs that take homeowner samples

3 other certified labs that take homeowner samples are 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: Cook County, IL

• Private wells: about 5,239 people, 0% of Cook County’s 5,238,216 residents (USGS, 2015); rank 47 of 102 counties in Illinois 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 70 private-well users (95% range 57 to 86; 2010 base), rank 64 of 102 in the state. A screening estimate, not a measurement of any well.
• Older homes (Census ACS 2020–2024): 73% of 2,276,493 housing units were built before 1980, above the state share of 63%. 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): 118 public systems serving this county reported EPA UCMR 5 results; 2 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 Illinois 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).