About this list
- Agency
- New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) - Drinking Water Bureau, Drinking Water Laboratory Certification Program
- Format
- PDF table (1 p): NM certification number, analyte-group codes (legend on the page), city/state, expiry date, phone and NMED-DWB contract flag per lab; no street address
- Homeowner flag
- Not stated per lab. NMED's Private Wells page says: "To test your water, contact a local water laboratory and confirm if they can analyze samples from private wells. While the Drinking Water Bureau (DWB) certifies laboratories for public water systems, many of these labs also offer services to private well owners." Neither that page nor NMED's list says which labs take samples from private well owners.
Certified as ofLast Updated: 10/26/2026
Laboratories Certified by NMED-DWB to Analyze Drinking Water Samples for Water Systems in New Mexico. Fetched 2026-11-03 (UTC).
Official sourceTesting your well in New Mexico
How often to test
- NMED's Drinking Water Bureau suggests testing every spring for common contaminants such as coliform bacteria and nitrates. Its list of recommended tests is bacteria, nitrate and arsenic every year, and uranium every five years. NMED says this is general guidance, not a regulatory requirement. [1]
- NMED also suggests considering a test after a new well is installed, if there is no record of earlier testing, and when there is unexplained illness in the household, someone is pregnant or nursing a child under 6 months, the water's taste, color or odor changes suddenly, after a septic system failure, wildfire, flood or prolonged drought, or when neighbors have water quality problems. [1]
- Depending on your location or concerns, NMED lists other tests you might consider: fluoride, lead, iron and manganese, total dissolved solids, volatile organic compounds (in industrial areas or near fuel storage tanks), and pesticides and herbicides (near agricultural areas or heavy pesticide use). [1]
Free testing
- In an August 13, 2026 release, NMED said private well users can bring water samples to NMED field offices statewide, where staff screen them for nitrate, iron and fluoride at no cost. NMED calls this an initial screening that does not replace more comprehensive testing by a certified lab, and says similar tests from commercial labs cost $100 to $125. [2]
- NMED's Ground Water Quality Bureau runs free Water Fair events, about 10 per state fiscal year (July 1 to June 30) in rural communities. Staff use portable equipment to test well water for arsenic, nitrate, electrical conductivity, pH, fluoride, sulfate and iron. [3]
Testing programs and help
- For the field office screening, NMED asks for at least one quart of cold kitchen tap water in a clean, covered glass or plastic container, delivered soon after collection with a completed Well Testing Form. Results are mailed on the form, with acceptable levels on the back. Conductivity and organic vapor may also be tested if instruments are available. [4]
- NMED's August 2026 release also lists targeted programs: private well testing for heavy metals and PFAS near the Hermits Peak-Calf Canyon burn scar, and PFAS testing with free home filtration systems for affected private well owners in Santa Fe and Curry counties. [2]
Buying or selling a home
- NMED lists purchasing a home with a private well among the times to consider testing your water. [1]
State lab and rules
- NMED's Drinking Water Bureau does not regulate private wells. It certifies labs for public water systems, and NMED says many of these labs also serve private well owners. Contact a lab, confirm it takes private well samples, and ask for a testing package for private wells or your specific concerns. [1]
- NMED publishes a list of labs it has certified to analyze drinking water samples for water systems in New Mexico (last updated October 26, 2026), with the analyte groups each lab is certified for. [5]
Show the numbers
| Item | Value | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Zone 1 | 7 counties | |
| Zone 2 | 26 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.
Sources
- New Mexico Environment Department, Drinking Water Bureau, Guidance for Owners of Private Wells (no date printed)
- New Mexico Environment Department, news release: NMED offers free well water testing statewide (August 13, 2026)
- New Mexico Environment Department, Free Well Water Testing (no date printed)
- New Mexico Environment Department, Liquid Waste Program, Free Well Water Testing (no date printed)
- New Mexico Environment Department, Drinking Water Bureau, Laboratories Certified by NMED-DWB to Analyze Drinking Water Samples for Water Systems in New Mexico (last updated 10/26/2026)
- U.S. EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county list (EPA 402/A-16/001, spreadsheet Sep 2025)
Loan test (FHA, VA, USDA) in New Mexico
- 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 New Mexico 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. 6 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 New Mexico 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.
McKinley County40,769 on wellsSandoval County34,955 on wellsValencia County31,748 on wellsSanta Fe County28,198 on wellsSan Juan County16,769 on wellsRio Arriba County15,002 on wellsCibola County14,555 on wellsOtero County14,180 on wellsLea County13,482 on wellsBernalillo County11,663 on wellsTaos County9,136 on wellsChaves County8,992 on wellsLuna County8,016 on wellsSan Miguel County7,186 on wellsSocorro County5,423 on wellsDona Ana County5,000 on wellsTorrance County4,926 on wellsCurry County4,915 on wellsGrant County2,446 on wellsEddy County2,308 on wellsCatron County2,232 on wellsSierra County2,042 on wellsUnion County1,701 on wellsHidalgo County1,667 on wellsRoosevelt County1,304 on wellsLincoln County1,015 on wells