About this list
- Agency
- Maine CDC Drinking Water Program
- Format
- 1-page PDF (in-state commercial labs)
- Homeowner flag
- Not stated per lab. Maine accredits by test.
Maine In-State Commercial Drinking Water Labs. Fetched 2026-11-15 (UTC).
Official sourceTesting your well in Maine
How often to test
- Every year: coliform bacteria, E. coli, nitrate and nitrite. Every three to five years: arsenic, chloride, copper, fluoride, hardness, iron, lead, magnesium, manganese, pH, radon, sodium and uranium. [1]
Free testing
We found no statewide free testing program in Maine. Ask your county health department whether it runs one.
Testing programs and help
- Maine CDC gives free technical help by phone, and low-income residents can fill out a form to get more information about testing or a test kit. [1]
What testing costs at the state lab
Maine Health and Environmental Testing Laboratory web shop (no date shown; a mandatory $2 fee applies to each water test ordered for a residential private drinking water well, and the shop does not say whether listed prices include it)
| Test | Price |
|---|---|
| Basic Safety Test | $42 |
| Well Evaluation / New Well / Residential Home Sales test | $127 |
| Lead, first draw | $32 |
| Radon in water | $42 |
| Gross alpha | $122 |
| Bacteria Positivity Test (coliform bacteria and E. coli, pos/neg) | $27 |
Prices as published when we checked on 1 Nov 2026. Private certified labs set their own prices.
Show the numbers
| Item | Value | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Zone 1 | 12 counties | |
| Zone 2 | 4 counties | |
| Zone 3 | 0 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.
- Maine CDC, Private well water
- Maine Health and Environmental Testing Laboratory web shop
- U.S. EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county list (EPA 402/A-16/001, spreadsheet Sep 2025)
Loan test (FHA, VA, USDA) in Maine
- 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:
- Maine Health and Environmental Testing Laboratory web shop: Well Evaluation / New Well / Residential Home Sales test, $127 (checked 1 Nov 2026) source
- 3 labs on the Maine 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 Maine 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. 11 labs on this list are on our register so far; 8 say they take homeowner samples and 6 print a price.
| Lab | Bacteria (coliform / E. coli) | Nitrate | Arsenic | Lead | Basic well panel | Home sale / loan package | Turnaround |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ClearWater Laboratory (A Division of Acheron Engineering) Newport, ME · You collect the sample with the lab's bottles | $50.00 Total Coliform/E. Coli (Presence/Absent) source $60.00 Total Coliform/E. Coli (Most Probable Number Count) source | $40.00 Nitrate-N source | $50.00 Arsenic, Total source | $40.00 Lead - Source source | Set C: Basic Safety Check ... $80.00 source | Set A: Conventional Mortgage ... $130.00 source Set B: FHA/HUD/VA ... $150.00 source | – |
| Maine Coast Laboratory (DBA Water Quality & Compliance Services Inc.) Wiscasset, ME · You collect it, or lab staff can | Bacteria Only ... $30 source | – | – | First Draw Lead ... $30 source | Basic (Rural Development) ... $75 source Basic + Arsenic ... $95 source | FHA/VA (Source Lead) ... $110 source FHA/VA (First Draw Lead) ... $110 source | – |
| Maine Laboratories, LLC (PFAS Only) Norridgewock, ME · You collect the sample with the lab's bottles | – | – | – | – | – | – | 10 business days from sample drop off with an option for expedited results in 5 business days for an additional fee. |
| Mi'Kmaq Environmental Laboratory (Bacteria only) Presque Isle, ME · You collect the sample with the lab's bottles | Bacteria Test $37.00 source | – | – | – | Safety Test $72.00 source Safety Test Plus Arsenic $86.00 source | – | Within 3-5 business days we will mail you a copy of your test results. |
| Nelson Analytical Lab Kennebunk, ME · You collect the sample with the lab's bottles | Total Coliform & E. coli Bacteria $30.00 source | Nitrate $20.00 source | Arsenic $25.00 source | Lead $25.00 source | Standard Test $80.00 source Standard Plus Arsenic Test $100.00 source | FHA/VA/RD Minimum Requirements Test $75.00 source FHA Plus Test $110.00 source | Nelson Analytical Lab will usually process your water sample in approximately 1 to 3 days. |
| Nova Analytic Labs (DBA Nova EnviroLabs – PFAS Only) Portland, ME · You collect the sample with the lab's bottles | – | – | – | – | – | – | Turnaround Time Is 8 Business Days! |
Say they take homeowner samples: ClearWater Laboratory (A Division of Acheron Engineering), Health and Environmental Testing Laboratory, Maine Coast Laboratory (DBA Water Quality & Compliance Services Inc.), Maine Laboratories, LLC (PFAS Only), Mi'Kmaq Environmental Laboratory (Bacteria only), NELAnalytical (Previously Northeast Laboratory Services), Nelson Analytical Lab, Nova Analytic Labs (DBA Nova EnviroLabs – PFAS Only).
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 Maine 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.