About this list
- Agency
- Nevada Division of Environmental Protection (NDEP) - Laboratory Certification Program
- Format
- Searchable database (AB Manager), CSV exports: certified parameters (matrix Drinking Water) + lab contacts, analyte-level
- Homeowner flag
- Yes for the 13 labs on NDEP's table of "in-state Nevada Certified Drinking Water Laboratories that accept samples from the public" ("last updated May 15, 2025"; the table image is dated 9-7-2023), so confirm by phone. Not stated for the other labs. NDEP's database also marks each lab 'Commercial?' Yes/No: that is a lab-type flag, broader than 'homeowner', so call before you send a sample.
NDEP Laboratory Approval Status - Certified Lab List (public database, Matrix: Drinking Water). Fetched 2026-11-15 (UTC).
Official sourceTesting your well in Nevada
How often to test
- University of Nevada Cooperative Extension (2012 fact sheet, linked from NDEP's testing page): test every year for nitrate, pH, total dissolved solids and total coliform bacteria, and test more often if levels are close to the standards. Run a broad panel, such as a routine domestic analysis, every 5 to 10 years. Also test when buying a home, after drilling a new well, or if you are pregnant, planning a pregnancy or have an infant under 6 months. [1]
Free testing
We found no statewide free testing program in Nevada. Ask your county health department whether it runs one.
Testing programs and help
Buying or selling a home
- NDEP says that when a lender requires a water test as a condition of a real estate transfer, Nevada law requires the test to be done by a lab certified by the State of Nevada under the Safe Drinking Water Act. A routine domestic analysis (also called an escrow package) is often used to meet a lender's requirement. NDEP suggests asking the lab: are you certified by the State of Nevada to analyze drinking water compliance samples? [3]
State lab and rules
- NDEP's Bureau of Safe Drinking Water does not regulate water quality in private wells. For a test, NDEP points owners to labs certified for drinking water by its Laboratory Certification program. [2]
- NDEP publishes a list of Nevada certified drinking water labs that accept samples from the public (last updated May 15, 2025). Costs vary by lab, so ask each lab. If you only want to satisfy curiosity, a certified lab is not required, but the state cannot vouch for the results. [3]
Show the numbers
| Item | Value | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Zone 1 | 9 counties | |
| Zone 2 | 7 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.
- University of Nevada Cooperative Extension, Water Testing for Private Well Owners, SP-00-20 (updated Jan 11, 2012), hosted by NDEP
- Nevada Division of Environmental Protection, Private wells
- Nevada Division of Environmental Protection, Get Your Drinking Water Tested
- U.S. EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county list (EPA 402/A-16/001, spreadsheet Sep 2025)
Loan test (FHA, VA, USDA) in Nevada
- 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 Nevada 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. 2 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 Nevada 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.