Bacteria is the start for home testing. If you’re on a well, we recommend you test at both the well and within the home. This is to ensure that the well is fine and the line between the well and the home is fine. Also, if you’re on a well and the area gets flooded (such as after a hurricane), you might want to test for bacteria once you can safely access your well.

That really depends upon what you’re concerned with. If you’re on a well and someone in the home has high blood pressure, you may want to test for sodium. If you are near salt water, you may want to test the well for Chloride to make sure that there isn’t saltwater intrusion into your well. Please see our recommended list for the most common analyses based on water type.

The bedrock that is filtering water in SWFL is mostly limestone. That’s where the smell comes from and the way most people with wells deal with it is to install an aerator. However, while unpleasant, it’s not actually harmful.

We’d need to have our biologist evaluate, but it might be iron or sulfer bacteria. Please see the documents about these bacteria in water.

Uranium and some other heavy metals are specialized tests that require special facilities. Please see our analysis list for metals/minerals tested and pricing.

Normally, testing for wells with regard to loans/refinance involves some combination of the following analyses: lead, nitrates and bacteria. However, the underwriter is usually the person who determines compliance. You need to have your real estate/finance person call to determine which analyses you will need to comply. If unsure, perform lead, nitrates and bacteria analyses to be safe. Let them know the turn around time is three weeks, although it usually takes 1 ½ to 2 weeks. If it’s a loan, you also need to know whether you can perform the sampling yourself or if you need to hire a third party. If you need to hire a third party, you need to specify what analyses you want to collect. If you don’t and they only perform a bacteria sampling, you’ll be out of compliance and they might hold up your loan.

If on a well, did you recently change/service it? Too much softener/salt can cause skin issues. If a Doctor said to get the water tested, did they say specifically what you should test for?

We can only accept samples in proper containers that are collected following our sampling and transportation instructions. If you have not done this before we recommend you come to the lab and pick up the proper containers and get the instructions. Different analyses have different bottles and some analyses are only accepted on certain days/hours.

Our lab is limited to testing on water only. Please see the analysis list for for our lab’s capabilities.

We open at 8:00 am and close at 4:30 pm, Monday through Friday to the public. For bacteria samples to be tested that day they must arrive in wet ice before 2:30pm. Samples accepted after that will be tested the following day.

Our posted turn around time is 3 weeks. However, under normal conditions with our current testing demand we can usually turn around most tests in 1 ½ to 2 weeks. Bacteria testing requires incubation for 24 hours from the start of the test. If the bacteria samples are received before 2:30pm then results will be available the following day. If it is a positive result we will call you as soon as the test is evaluated. All other test results will be emailed following result validation, document processing, and payment of services.

Please see our recommended list of analysis for each water type. Knowing what is in your water can be important, but it cannot change it. The only way to improve your water quality is with treatment and/or filtration. There are many options to make your water meet your specific goals including whole house treatment systems and under sink filters. There are also many companies in SW Florida who offer these services so do your research to find the best option for you and your family.

Yes, either online through Accela or over the phone. Click here for payment instructions.

For many analyses cooling samples is a method requirement as set forth by the State of Florida and the National Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program. Rapid cooling inhibits chemical and biological degradation of the samples which could affect the results. To best accomplish this the samples should be immediately placed in “wet ice” (ice cubes with enough water to make a slurry). If we do not receive the samples at the proper temperature the results would be qualified to state that they may not be accurate. Most agencies will not accept qualified data.