Certified well water labs in Delaware (2026)
Delaware does not regulate water quality in private wells. The Office of Drinking Water says about 85% of Delawareans are on public systems and the rest drink from private wells (ODW services sheet). The good news: Delaware is one of the cheapest states to test in. The Division of Public Health hands out free bacteria and chemistry kits, and since September 2026 DNREC and DHSS will sample your well for PFAS and a standard panel at no cost (Sept 14, 2026 announcement).
The short version
- Pick up a free DPH kit. Division of Public Health kits are free (they were $4 before Sept 1, 2023) and cover total coliform / E. coli plus nitrate, nitrite, iron, fluoride, alkalinity, pH, chloride, sulfate, sodium, and hardness. Pick up Mon–Fri, 8 a.m.–4:30 p.m., in Newark, Smyrna, Dover, or Georgetown. Don’t sample on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday.
- Or request free state sampling that includes PFAS. The DNREC / DHSS private well sampling program tests for PFAS, nitrate, nitrite, iron, fluoride, alkalinity, pH, chloride, sulfate, sodium, hardness, E. coli, and total coliform. There is no cost for sampling or analysis. Look up your well permit number in the DNREC Well Viewer, then send in the request and consent form. Staff or the state’s contractor will call to schedule within about two weeks.
- For arsenic, lead, metals, or a lender, use a certified lab. DPH kits don’t test for spills, metals beyond iron, or anything outside their set panel. Use a lab on the Office of Drinking Water approved-lab list. Water Testing Labs of Maryland, for example, posts kits starting at $85 (bacteria) and $249 (bacteria, nitrate, iron, hardness, lead, copper, and arsenic).
How Delaware’s system actually works
Private wells are the homeowner’s responsibility. ODW recommends sampling once a year for chemical and bacteriological contaminants, and DPH says to test more often if someone in the house is pregnant or nursing, you mix infant formula with the water, a neighbor finds a contaminant, the taste, smell, or color changes, or you have had well or plumbing work done. DPH kit samples go to the Delaware Public Health Laboratory in Smyrna. The DPHL page says bacteria results take about one week and chemistry about three weeks. Results are mailed to you by the county health unit, so don’t call the lab for them. DPHL only runs its set panel. For anything else (arsenic, lead, VOCs, pesticides) you need a private certified lab. One older DPHL page still mentions a $2 fee per bottle. The current private-well page and the 2023 DPH announcement both say the kits are free.
If a result comes back high, DPH’s Health Systems Protection section runs a private-well assistance program. The 2023 launch notice covers excess coliform, E. coli, fluoride, nitrate, nitrite, or sodium (for people on salt-restricted diets). The September 2026 announcement adds that low-income households can get 100% of mitigation installation and one year of maintenance covered, and moderate-income households up to 50%. Contact: DHSS_DPH_PrivateWell@delaware.gov or 302-744-4546, option 9.
Options we verified
- Delaware Division of Public Health free kits, no charge. One bacteria bottle (total coliform / E. coli) and one chemistry bottle (nitrate, nitrite, iron, fluoride, alkalinity, pH, chloride, sulfate, sodium, hardness). Kits are for private well owners, and the 2023 notice says for your primary residence. Pickup and drop-off Mon–Fri, 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m., at University Office Plaza, Chopin Building, Suite 105, Newark · Delaware Public Health Laboratory, Smyrna · James W. Williams Building, Suite 105, Dover (302-744-1220) · Stockley Center, Georgetown. Run the water 5 minutes, fill at a non-swivel tap, and bring it straight back. Don’t collect on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday. Source: DHSS Private Drinking Water (checked Oct 14, 2026).
- DNREC + DHSS Private Drinking Water Well Sampling, free, includes PFAS. Staff or a contractor comes out and samples. Panel: PFAS, nitrate, nitrite, iron, fluoride, alkalinity, pH, chloride, sulfate, sodium, hardness, E. coli, total coliform. If anything comes back above a threshold, DPH or the contractor contacts you within 24–48 hours. For certain PFAS detections, the state may provide filtration and a year of maintenance at no cost. You need your well permit number (DNREC Division of Water Well Viewer) and the request and consent form. Questions: Delaware_Private_Well_Sampling_Program@delaware.gov. Sources: DNREC PFAS in Delaware · State news, Sept 14, 2026.
- Water Testing Labs of Maryland (Salisbury, Easton, Stevensville). Listed on Delaware’s ODW approved-lab list as Salisbury/Stevensville. Their locations page says Salisbury (113 High Street, 410-546-1318) serves Sussex County, DE, and Easton (410-820-8774) lists Kent County. Posted kit prices: bacteria (total coliform + E. coli) $85 · bacteria + nitrate/nitrite, sand, turbidity, pH $125 · + iron $135 · + hardness $149 · + lead and copper $219 · + total arsenic $249 · arsenic alone $55 · fluoride $60 · 16 metals $325 · PFAS 537 $395 / 533 $495 · Watertest™ (88 items) $395. Kits must be back on ice within 24 hours, return postage isn’t included, and they say kit results are informational only, not for regulatory compliance. If they collect the sample for a real estate transfer, Maryland-county prices are $175 conventional and $245 FHA, and they say Delaware runs “slightly higher” for mileage, so call for a Delaware quote. Sources: kit price list · real estate pricing · locations (checked Oct 14, 2026). They run water and wastewater plants and do septic and termite inspections, but we found no home treatment or softener sales.
- Other labs on the ODW approved list. Aerobiology Lab Associates, Alloway, ALS Environmental (Middletown), Alpha Analytical, Analytical Services, Brandywine Science Center, Chesapeake Environmental Lab, EMSL Analytical, Eurofins Eaton (two sites), Florida Radiochemistry Services, Pace Analytical (three sites), PFAS Solutions, and Suburban Testing Labs. ODW says the list is a convenience for public water systems, and you should contact each lab about its scope. We did not verify homeowner prices for these tonight, so call before you sample. Source: ODW Laboratory Certification Program.
What to test for in Delaware
- Bacteria (total coliform / E. coli): every year, and after flooding, well work, or a change in taste or clarity. The free DPH kit covers it.
- Nitrate / nitrite: every year, especially in Sussex County and near farm fields or septic systems. A Delaware Geological Survey study of the Columbia aquifer in coastal Sussex found nitrate above the 10 mg/L limit in nearly 23% of wells sampled (DGS RI 49, 1991; older data, but the reason the state keeps nitrate in every kit).
- PFAS: the free DNREC/DHSS program covers it. That’s the best deal in the region, since a private lab charges $395–$495 for the same analysis.
- Sodium, chloride, iron, pH, hardness: all in the free chemistry kit. Sodium matters if anyone in the house is on a salt-restricted diet.
- Arsenic, lead, copper, other metals, VOCs, pesticides: not in the DPH panel. Use a certified private lab. If you think a spill or release has reached your well, contact DNREC. DPH kits won’t test for spill compounds.
Mail-in kits (for a broader PDF)
These independent labs mail you bottles, run the tests, and email a PDF. Neither one sells softeners. Prices were checked for this update:
- Tap Score / SimpleLab Essential Well: $209 listed (includes arsenic and uranium among 54 analytes).
- National Testing Laboratories WaterCheck Basic: $220 listed. Next-day return shipping isn’t included.
In Delaware, start with the free state kits. They cover bacteria, nitrate, and the basic chemistry at no cost. A mail-in kit or private lab is for what they skip: arsenic, lead, metals, and VOCs. If a lender or buyer needs a sampler-collected, chain-of-custody result, self-collected kits may not count, so ask a certified lab to collect.
Side by side for a Delaware well
On a phone, the table scrolls sideways.
| DPH free kit | DNREC/DHSS sampling | Certified private lab (e.g. WTL of MD) | Mail-in (Tap Score / NTL) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | Yearly bacteria + nitrate + basic chemistry | PFAS plus the standard panel | Arsenic, lead, metals, lender work | A broader analyte list in one PDF |
| Typical cost | Free | Free | $85–$249 kits; collection extra | About $209–$220 |
| How | Pick up / drop off Mon–Fri in Newark, Smyrna, Dover, Georgetown | Request form; appointment scheduled within ~2 weeks | Kit on ice within 24 h, or lab collects | Ship it yourself |
| Results | Mailed: ~1 week bacteria, ~3 weeks chemistry | Above-threshold call within 24–48 h | Per lab | Emailed PDF |
Remind me to test my well every year
CDC and EPA say to test a private well at least once a year. We’ll send one email a year, about when your test is due, with your state’s lab options.
Thanks, you’re on the list. We’ll email you once a year when it’s time to test your well. Nothing else.
What to do in Delaware
- This week, pick up a free DPH kit in Newark, Smyrna, Dover, or Georgetown. Sample Monday through Thursday and return it the same day.
- Request the free PFAS sampling through DNREC’s private well program. Have your well permit number ready.
- Add arsenic and lead once from a certified lab on the ODW approved list. For example, Water Testing Labs of Maryland’s $249 kit covers both plus bacteria and nitrate.
- Got a high result? Ask DPH about the private-well assistance program (DHSS_DPH_PrivateWell@delaware.gov, 302-744-4546 option 9) before you buy treatment. You don’t have to buy from anyone who tested your water.
- If you want a broader PDF, use Tap Score / SimpleLab or National Testing Laboratories.
Skip this if…
- You already chlorinated the well. Wait and flush before you take a bacteria sample. A chlorinated sample gets rejected or tells you nothing.
- The “lab” quoting you also sells treatment systems. Get an independent result. Delaware’s are free. See the Home Depot free-kit comparison.
- Someone offered a free in-home “test” that ends in a softener pitch. We don’t list those here.
Related: Maryland · New Jersey · Pennsylvania · PFAS 533 / 537.1 · How it works