Nitrate Water Testing Labs in South Carolina (12 state-certified labs)

How many labs test for nitrate in South Carolina

12 labs on South Carolina's official drinking-water lab list are certified to test for nitrate. All 12 are named for nitrate on the list. The South Carolina list does not say which labs take samples from homeowners, so call a lab before you send one. 5 are located outside South Carolina.

The list is published by the South Carolina Department of Environmental Services (SCDES) - Bureau of Regional Laboratory Services, Office of Environmental Laboratory Certification. List version on file: no date printed; CELMAPP data last refreshed 2026-10-10 (LastRefreshDate of SCDES's details table). Fetched 2026-11-03 (UTC).

South Carolina labs certified for nitrate

How the South Carolina list marks public samples (whole list). Not stated per lab. SCDES's well-testing page tells well owners: "For Volatile Organic Chemicals, Herbicides, Pesticides, Other Synthetic Organic Parameters, please contact a Commercial Laboratory." It names no lab, and CELMAPP does not say which labs take samples from homeowners.

Before you send a sample, call the lab to confirm it is currently certified for the exact test and method, that it accepts samples from homeowners, and how to collect and ship them. Status can change between list updates.

Why test for nitrate in South Carolina

Nitrate has no taste or smell, and a lab report can state the same water in two units that differ by a factor of 4.43. Read our nitrate explainer.

EPA advises private-well owners to test every year for total coliform bacteria, nitrates, total dissolved solids and pH. [1]

South Carolina guidance that mentions nitrate:

• Clemson Extension says comprehensive testing should be done after a well is installed and whenever recent results are not available. That covers arsenic, chloride, copper, fluoride, hardness, iron, lead, manganese, nitrate, pH, radium, sodium, sulfate, total coliform bacteria, total dissolved solids (TDS) and uranium. It recommends annual testing for priority parameters, including bacteria, nitrates, TDS and pH, and a monthly visual check for changes in turbidity, color, odor or taste. [2]
• The coliform test checks for total coliform and, if found, E. coli; results come by mail in two to three weeks. The metals and minerals analysis covers alkalinity, calcium, chloride, copper, hardness, iron, lead, magnesium, manganese, nitrate/nitrite, pH and zinc, with results in eight to twelve weeks. Fluoride, sodium, total dissolved solids and other inorganic tests can be added. For VOCs, herbicides, pesticides and other organic chemicals, SCDES refers you to a commercial lab. [3]

Prices at SCDES Well Water Quality Testing Services page; no effective date is printed (copy saved 3 Nov 2026). Clemson HGIC 3870 (revised Nov 5, 2025) gives the same $20 and $50 fees. The page says metals and minerals samples were not accepted from June 1 to October 31, 2026 (tentative restart November 1, 2026)., as published when checked on 3 Nov 2026. Private certified labs set their own prices.

About 1,182,721 people in South Carolina used private wells in 2015, by the USGS estimate of people on domestic self-supplied water. [4] Federal limits are written for public water systems, not private wells, so testing is up to the owner.

For tests that depend on your home (farms nearby, old plumbing, a new baby), use the which-tests checklist. When results arrive, check your numbers against EPA's limits. State guidance, county data and every lab: South Carolina.

Other tests in South Carolina