About this list
- Agency
- Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) - Drinking Water Laboratory Certification
- Format
- XLSX (labs offering / not offering residential services)
- Homeowner flag
- Explicit yes/no per lab: MassDEP's list for private well owners asks 'Offers services to residential customers?'.
Partial list. Only MassDEP's list for private well owners and residential customers is here (36 certified labs, not MassDEP's full roster). It names broad analysis categories, not the analytes each lab is certified for; that detail is in MassDEP's Labcert database, which we could not download. Check the analyte with the lab.
MassDEP Certified Laboratories Offering Analytical Services for Private Well Owners and Residential Customers. Fetched 2026-11-15 (UTC).
Official sourceTesting your well in Massachusetts
How often to test
- MassDEP recommends testing coliform bacteria and nitrate/nitrite first and then at least once a year. It recommends testing arsenic, chloride, copper, fluoride, hardness, iron, lead, manganese, pH, sodium, radon, VOCs, PFAS6 and (bedrock wells only) a gross alpha screen first and then at least once every ten years, unless your local Board of Health requires otherwise. [1]
- MassDEP and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health recommend that all homeowners test their wells for arsenic and radionuclides such as uranium. [2]
Free testing
We found no statewide free testing program in Massachusetts. Ask your county health department whether it runs one.
Testing programs and help
- Local Boards of Health regulate private wells in Massachusetts and may adopt their own well rules, including water quality testing. MassDEP says to contact your Board of Health first to see which tests your town requires. [3]
Buying or selling a home
- There is no state requirement to test a private well, though your mortgage lender or local Board of Health may require one. MassDEP recommends that buyers test the water in a home with a private well before purchase. [1]
- Some Boards of Health require a test showing that a well meets drinking water standards before it is first used for drinking water. [4]
State lab and rules
- MassDEP certifies water testing labs and recommends a state-certified lab for all private well water testing. The well owner pays for the tests; since fees may vary between certified labs, MassDEP says it may be worthwhile to compare costs. [3]
Show the numbers
| Item | Value | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Zone 1 | 3 counties | |
| Zone 2 | 10 counties | |
| Zone 3 | 1 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.
- MassDEP, Protect Your Family: A Guide to Water Quality Testing for Private Wells
- MassDEP, Arsenic & Uranium Bedrock Well Study: Arsenic & Uranium FAQs
- MassDEP, FAQs - Private Wells
- MassDEP, Private Drinking Water Testing and the use of MassDEP Certified Laboratories
- U.S. EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county list (EPA 402/A-16/001, spreadsheet Sep 2025)
Loan test (FHA, VA, USDA) in Massachusetts
- 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.
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 Massachusetts 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. 1 labs on this list are on our register so far; 0 say they take homeowner samples and 0 print a price.
Prices exactly as each lab prints them, read 15 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 Massachusetts 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.