Get your water tested in Minnesota.
The short answer
Minnesota’s list has 24 labs certified to test drinking water. One of the labs here is named for a water utility and may test only its own water, so it comes last. The list says 23 take samples from homeowners.
Certification is test by test, so check that a lab is certified for what you want tested, and call first: it will say which bottles to use and how soon the sample has to arrive.
Labs in Minnesota
23 labs, by city.
| Lab | City | Phone | Certified for | Takes homeowners’ samples |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steven M. Traut Wells, Inc. | Alexandria | (320) 762-1528 | Bacteria, nitrate | Yes |
| Tri-City/William Lloyd Analytical Lab | Bloomington | (952) 563-4904 | Bacteria, nitrate, metals | Yes |
| A.W. Research Laboratories, Inc. | Brainerd | (218) 829-7974 | Bacteria, nitrate, lead and copper, metals | Yes |
| RMB Environmental Laboratories, Inc. - Burnsville | Burnsville | (952) 456-8470 | Bacteria, nitrate | Yes |
| RMB Environmental Laboratories, Inc. – Detroit Lakes | Detroit Lakes | (218) 846-1465 | Bacteria, nitrate, lead and copper, metals | Yes |
| Pace Analytical Services, LLC - Duluth | Duluth | (218) 727-6380 | Bacteria, nitrate | Yes |
| Water Laboratories, Inc. | Elk River | (763) 441-7509 | Bacteria, nitrate, lead and copper, metals | Yes |
| Instrumental Research, Inc. | Fridley | (763) 571-3698 | Bacteria, nitrate | Yes |
| Twin City Water Clinic, Inc. | Hopkins | (952) 935-3556 | Bacteria, nitrate, lead and copper, metals | Yes |
| Koochiching Health Department Water Testing | International Falls | (218) 283-7070 | Bacteria | Yes |
| UC Laboratory | Janesville | (507) 234-5835 | Bacteria, nitrate, metals | Yes |
| Southwest Health and Human Services | Marshall | (507) 537-6713 | Bacteria, nitrate | Yes |
| Pace Analytical Services, LLC - Minneapolis | Minneapolis | (612) 607-1700 | Bacteria, nitrate, lead and copper, metals | Yes |
| Engel Water Testing, Inc. | Minnetrista | (952) 955-1800 | Bacteria | Yes |
| EMSL Analytical, Inc. | New Hope | (763) 449-4922 | Bacteria, nitrate, lead and copper, metals | Yes |
| Minnesota Valley Testing Laboratories, Inc. | New Ulm | (507) 354-8517 | Bacteria, nitrate, lead and copper, metals | Yes |
| Fillmore SWCD Water Quality Laboratory | Preston | (507) 765-3878 | Bacteria | Yes |
| AC Analytical & Consulting, LLC | Puposky | (218) 243-3328 | Bacteria, nitrate | Yes |
| Red Wing City Laboratory | Red Wing | (651) 385-5143 | Bacteria | Yes |
| Southeastern Minnesota Water Analysis Laboratory | Rochester | (507) 328-7495 | Bacteria, nitrate | Yes |
| Traut Water Analysis Lab | St. Joseph | (320) 251-5090 | Bacteria, nitrate | Yes |
| Pace Analytical Services, LLC - Virginia | Virginia | (218) 727-6380 | Bacteria | Yes |
| RMB Environmental Laboratories, Inc. - Virginia | Virginia | (218) 440-2043 | Bacteria, nitrate | Yes |
Labs run by water utilities
1 lab named for a water utility or its plant. A utility’s lab may test only its own system’s water, so call before taking a sample there.
| Lab | City | Phone | Certified for | Takes homeowners’ samples |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Worthington Public Utilities Laboratory | Worthington | (507) 372-8660 | Bacteria | Yes |
What to ask a lab to test
- On a private well: no one else tests it. What to test a well for, and how often.
- On city water: your utility tests what leaves the plant, not what your own pipes add. Testing your tap for lead.
- What it costs: fees vary by lab and by test, and some states test wells for free. What a water test costs.
- Anything your utility’s report flags: a lab certified for that contaminant can test your own tap. Minnesota utilities’ reports.
Source: Minnesota Department of Health, accredited labs in Minnesota accepting drinking water samples from private well users, dated July 1, 2026, read Oct. 10, 2026. Labs are listed as the state lists them; what each is certified for is as far as the list says. Certifications change, so a lab’s own word is the latest.
A lab named for a water utility is listed apart. Distances on town pages are straight lines between ZIP code centers from the Census 2020 gazetteer. How labs are listed here.
Where to go next
- Testing a private wellWhat to test for every year, what else depends on where you live, and reading the results.How to test well water
- Minnesota utilitiesEvery utility with a full report: what its results show, and its violations.Minnesota tap water
- Labs in other statesEvery state TapBuff has read, and where to find the rest.Certified labs by state