Certified labs by state
South Dakota
South Dakota has a state-run private well sampling program, and state law requires baseline testing when a new domestic well is completed. The state also flags annual bacteria retesting, post-flood nitrate checks, and statewide radon risk, with the east mapped as Zone 1 and the rest of the state as Zone 2.
Checked against official sources on October 4, 2026. Rules and links change; confirm with the office listed before you act.
- Certifies drinking water labs
- South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources (DANR), Drinking Water Program
- Official certified lab list
- Official page →
- Free or low-cost testing
- DANR links to the Midwest Assistance Program’s Free Private Well Assessment, which offers no-cost well assessments and limited free water testing while funding lasts: https://danr.sd.gov/OfficeOfWater/DrinkingWater/docs/Well%20Assessment%20Brochure%20revised%2010.24.23.pdf
Official resources in South Dakota
State private-well page explaining sampling, interpretation, annual bacteria retesting, and when to test after heavy rain, snowmelt, or flooding.
Official list of laboratories certified by South Dakota to analyze drinking water.
Department of Health page for residents ordering kits and submitting private well samples through the State Public Health Laboratory.
Official page for uranium, radium, gross alpha, and related radiochemical testing through the state lab.
Land-grant Extension guidance for inspecting, disinfecting, and resampling a private well after flooding.
Key facts for South Dakota
- South Dakota DANR certifies drinking-water laboratories and publishes the current certified-lab list on its Laboratory Certification page.
- State law requires each new domestic well to be tested for nitrate, coliform bacteria, sodium, conductivity, and sulfate.
- DANR recommends retesting private-well bacteriological quality at least annually.
- After heavy rains, snowmelt, or flooding, DANR says to submit at least a bacteriological and nitrate sample.
- DANR lists arsenic and nitrate among regulated inorganic contaminants; its page shows MCLs of 0.01 mg/L for arsenic and 10 mg/L for nitrate.
- The South Dakota State Public Health Laboratory says it is the only laboratory in South Dakota testing water for gross alpha, gross beta, radium-226, radium-228, and uranium.
What to do next
- Use the DANR certified-lab list first, then ask the lab for a private-well panel covering bacteria/coliform and nitrate, plus arsenic or radiological tests if those are concerns.
- If your well is new, make sure you receive and keep the required baseline results for nitrate, coliform bacteria, sodium, conductivity, and sulfate.
- If your well area floods or gets heavy rain or snowmelt, follow SDSU/DANR guidance to inspect or disinfect the well and resample promptly for bacteria and nitrate.
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