About this list
- Agency
- Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) - Drinking Water Program, laboratory certification
- Format
- PDF lists (chemical, microbiological, lead and copper, PFAS), lab-level
- Homeowner flag
- Not stated in the list.
Old list. This list is from Georgia EPD's four certified-lab lists dated January 9, 2025 (chemical, microbiological, lead and copper, PFAS). They were still the newest lists on EPD's Drinking Water page when we checked on Nov 2, 2026. Labs may have been added, dropped or changed since then.
Partial list. EPD's microbiological list is headed 'Commercial Laboratories', so labs certified only to test their own water system are not on it. The chemical list does not say which chemical groups each lab is certified for ('Not all labs are certified for all groups of chemicals'). Check the test with the lab.
Laboratories Certified by Georgia for Chemical Monitoring + Laboratories Certified by Georgia for Lead and Copper Monitoring + Laboratories Certified by Georgia for PFAS Monitoring. Fetched 2026-11-15 (UTC).
Official sourceTesting your well in Georgia
How often to test
- The Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) recommends testing private wells for coliform bacteria every year and doing a chemical screen (the W33C test, which includes arsenic and lead) every 3 years. [1]
Free testing
We found no statewide free testing program in Georgia. Ask your county health department whether it runs one.
Testing programs and help
- The bacteria test (W35) is available through your county public health department or UGA county Extension office. The W33C private well chemical test is available through UGA county Extension offices. [1]
- The UGA Agricultural and Environmental Services Laboratories (AESL) encourage Georgia residents to go through their county Extension office, which helps with sampling, bottles and fees. [2]
Buying or selling a home
- The UGA lab's Home Loan Closing package (W33B) covers lead, nitrate, nitrite and total coliform/E. coli, the four tests it says are commonly required for home closings. Ask your lender which tests it needs. [2]
State lab and rules
- Georgia EPD publishes lists of labs certified by Georgia for chemical, microbiological and PFAS drinking water testing. [3]
What testing costs at the state lab
UGA Agricultural and Environmental Services Laboratories fee schedule, effective Jul 1, 2026
| Test | Price |
|---|---|
| Total coliform / E. coli (W35) | $40 |
| DPH private well chemical test, incl. lead and arsenic (W33C) | $122 |
| Home loan closing: lead, nitrate, nitrite, coliform/E. coli (W33B) | $90 |
| Basic water test (W1) | $20 |
| Georgia expanded water test (W2) | $60 |
| Nitrate-N (W6) | $12 |
| Radon in water (W44) | $30 (plus $10 for an overnight shipping label when applicable) |
| Any one metal or non-metal, e.g. arsenic, lead, manganese or uranium (W42) | $40 (plus $10 for each additional element) |
Prices as published when we checked on 2 Nov 2026. Private certified labs set their own prices.
Show the numbers
| Item | Value | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Zone 1 | 4 counties | |
| Zone 2 | 55 counties | |
| Zone 3 | 100 counties |
Radon in indoor air, not in water. EPA: Zone 1 = highest potential (average indoor radon may be above 4 pCi/L); Zone 2 = 2 to 4; Zone 3 = below 2. EPA says the map should not be used to decide whether an individual home needs testing. Source: U.S. EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county list (EPA 402/A-16/001, spreadsheet Sep 2025), accessed 2026-11-01.
- Georgia Department of Public Health, Recommendations for well water testing (fact sheet, Rev. 7/2023)
- University of Georgia Agricultural and Environmental Services Laboratories, Water analyses
- Georgia Environmental Protection Division, Drinking water (certified laboratory lists revised January 2025)
- University of Georgia Agricultural and Environmental Services Laboratories, Fee schedule: III. Water analyses (effective Jul 1, 2026)
- U.S. EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county list (EPA 402/A-16/001, spreadsheet Sep 2025)
Loan test (FHA, VA, USDA) in Georgia
- VA. Test results are valid for 90 days from the date the local health authority certifies them, unless the local authority says otherwise. VA’s chapter names no list of contaminants: the water must meet the local health authority’s requirements, or EPA guidelines where it has none. Your lender may ask for specific tests.
- FHA. A well test is required in the situations FHA’s handbook lists, among others, and the report may not be more than 180 days old at disbursement.
- USDA. Guaranteed loans need a water quality test for a private well, done by the local health authority or a state-certified lab, and no more than 180 days old at closing.
Here:
- UGA Agricultural and Environmental Services Laboratories fee schedule, effective Jul 1, 2026: Home loan closing: lead, nitrate, nitrite, coliform/E. coli (W33B), $90 (checked 2 Nov 2026) source
- 1 lab on the Georgia list print a loan or home-sale package price on their own site: see the price table.
Lenders can ask for more (extra tests, a particular lab, who takes the sample): ask your lender before you book. Federal rules as read on Nov 3, 2026 source 1 source 2 source 3. Full comparison: VA, FHA and USDA well water test requirements. Loan test kits sold by mail, with price and days to results: kits compared.
What Georgia labs say on their own websites
State lists say what a lab is certified for, not whether it takes your sample or what it costs. We read each lab’s own site; a second reader re-checked every fact below. 5 labs on this list are on our register so far; 3 say they take homeowner samples and 1 print a price.
| Lab | Bacteria (coliform / E. coli) | Nitrate | Arsenic | Lead | Basic well panel | Home sale / loan package | Turnaround |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UGA Feed and Environmental Water Athens, GA · You collect the sample with the lab's bottles | Fee: $40.00 Estimated turnaround: 1-2 business days upon receipt source | Nitrate-N (NO3-N) Fee: $12.00* source | – | – | – | W33B - Home Loan Closing Fee: $90.00* source | Total Coliform / E. coli: Estimated turnaround: 1-2 business days upon receipt; Basic Water Test: 2-3 business days |
Say they take homeowner samples: Pace Analytical Services, Inc. - Atlanta, Piedmont Water Company, UGA Feed and Environmental Water.
Prices exactly as each lab prints them, read 14 Nov 2026; re-checked every 90 days. Labs not shown have not been read yet or print nothing for homeowners. Confirm price and turnaround with the lab.
Labs by contaminant
Labs on the Georgia list for one test, with homeowner-accepting labs first.
Well water by county
Private-well population (USGS, 2015), arsenic estimate, radon zone and nearby labs for each county with at least 1,000 people on private wells, largest first.