Certified labs by state
Delaware
In Delaware, private-well help is split mainly between DHSS’s Division of Public Health and DNREC: DHSS handles drinking-water laboratory certification and private-well test kits, while DNREC covers wells, PFAS response, and coastal saltwater issues. For residents, the key current pages are DHSS’s approved-lab and private-well pages plus DNREC’s PFAS and saltwater-intrusion pages, because Delaware is actively offering no-cost well sampling and warns that saltwater intrusion is a growing issue.
Checked against official sources on October 4, 2026. Rules and links change; confirm with the office listed before you act.
- Certifies drinking water labs
- Delaware Division of Public Health, Office of Drinking Water, Laboratory Certification Program
- Official certified lab list
- Official page →
- Free or low-cost testing
- Yes. Current Delaware pages say private-well kits are available at no charge, and DNREC/DHSS also offer no-cost statewide private-well sampling that includes PFAS and standard bacteria/chemistry parameters.
Official resources in Delaware
Official DHSS page that explains Delaware’s drinking-water lab certification program and lists approved laboratories.
Resident-facing private well page with annual testing guidance, free kit details, pickup locations, and the sampling request form.
Official DNREC page for Delaware’s no-cost private well sampling program, including PFAS and other contaminants.
Official Delaware guidance for homeowners dealing with salty water, coastal wells, and saltwater intrusion prevention.
Official page for residential well permitting and links residents use to locate well records and permit information.
Key facts for Delaware
- DHSS Office of Drinking Water’s Laboratory Certification Program approves Delaware drinking-water labs and posts an Approved Laboratories list.
- DHSS says private-well owners should sample annually, inspect the well yearly, and test more often after repairs, water-quality changes, or nearby contamination.
- Delaware’s free private-well kits cover total coliform/E. coli plus nitrate, nitrite, iron, fluoride, alkalinity, pH, chloride, sulfate, sodium, and hardness.
- DNREC and DHSS offer no-cost statewide private-well sampling for PFAS plus standard bacteria and chemistry parameters.
- DNREC says saltwater intrusion is a growing Delaware issue, especially for wells near saltwater bodies and coastal communities.
- DHSS says nitrate can come from fertilizer or failing septic systems and is especially dangerous for unborn children and infants.
What to do next
- Start with Delaware’s no-charge private-well kit or sampling request form, and collect samples Monday through Thursday since DHSS says not to collect Friday through Sunday.
- If your well is near the coast or your water tastes salty, review DNREC’s saltwater-intrusion guidance and pay attention to chloride and sodium results.
- If you suspect a spill or environmental release, do not rely only on the standard kit; DHSS says those kits will not analyze spill-related compounds, so use DNREC plus the approved-lab list for additional testing.
Helpful guides
- How to choose a state-certified drinking water lab
- What to test your private well water for (and how often)
- How to collect a well water sample without ruining the test
- How to read a water test report: MCLs, units and flags