South Dakota State Health Laboratory

At a glance

What it is certified to test

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

Price

from $18 (Nitrate), as printed on the lab’s website, read 15 Nov 2026

Turnaround

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

Homeowner samples

yes (South Dakota list)

Lab facts

Listed by

South Dakota (South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources (DANR) - Office of Water, Drinking Water Laboratory Certification)

Address

Laboratory Building, 615 East Fourth Street, Pierre, SD 57501 · Open in Google Maps

Phone

(605) 773-3368

Website

http://doh.sd.gov/Lab

Certificate

The Laboratories certified for the analysis of drinking water in the state of South Dakota (version undated (the page shows only 'Copyright © 2026')) prints no certificate ID or expiry date for this lab.

Public / homeowner samples

Public samples: yes (per state)

SD Department of Health, "Testing Private Wells" page (State Health Laboratory, 615 E 4th Street Pierre, SD 57501): "To request sample bottles for testing of water supplies, please complete and submit the following form, indicating the number of bottles needed for each test specified. Bottles include complete instructions for collecting and submitting water samples for testing. Fee information for the various tests is included. Sample bottles and instructions are also available from County Extension offices." Tests on the bottle order form: Bacteria/Nitrate, Lead, New Well, Other (specific test type).

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*').

DANR: "Certified for: Inorganics, SOC's, VOC's, Chlorite, HAA5, Perchlorate, TTHM's, Microbiology, E.Coli enumeration, Chlorite". DANR prints no certificate number or expiry date.

Homeowner service and turnaround (lab’s own website)

• Takes homeowner samples: yes. The lab’s site says: “To request sample bottles for testing of water supplies, please complete and submit the following form ... Bottles include complete instructions for collecting and submitting water samples” source
• Who collects: You collect the sample with the lab's bottles. source

From the lab’s own website, read 15 Nov 2026 and re-read by a second checker; next check due by 13 Feb 2027. Certification fields come from the state list only.

Prices the lab prints, compared

• Bacteria (coliform / E. coli): $20 here, the same as the state-run lab’s $20 (Total coliform; South Dakota Public Health Laboratory, Environmental Laboratory Testing Fees, per-test prices (page updated Sep 22, 2026), checked 2 Nov 2026) source.
• Nitrate: $18 here, the same as the state-run lab’s $18 (Nitrate; South Dakota Public Health Laboratory, Environmental Laboratory Testing Fees, per-test prices (page updated Sep 22, 2026), checked 2 Nov 2026) source.
• Arsenic: $23 here, the same as the state-run lab’s $23 (Arsenic; South Dakota Public Health Laboratory, Environmental Laboratory Testing Fees, per-test prices (page updated Sep 22, 2026), checked 2 Nov 2026) source.
• Lead: $18.50 here, the same as the state-run lab’s $18.50 (Lead; South Dakota Public Health Laboratory, Environmental Laboratory Testing Fees, per-test prices (page updated Sep 22, 2026), checked 2 Nov 2026) source.

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 146 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: Hughes County, SD

• Private wells: about 3,070 people, 17% of Hughes County’s 17,555 residents (USGS, 2015); rank 12 of 66 counties in South Dakota by people on wells.

• 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 8 private-well users (95% range 3 to 25; 2010 base), rank 19 of 66 in the state. A screening estimate, not a measurement of any well.
• Older homes (Census ACS 2020–2024): 54% of 7,997 housing units were built before 1980, above the state share of 50%. 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): 3 public systems 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 South Dakota 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).