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Common water testing packages
Review the table below and the recommendations column to see what water package best fits your needs.
If you are getting or refinancing a VA/FHA/HUD loan, the Real Estate/VA/HUD test package typically satisfies the lender’s requirements for a private well water test. Verify with your lender. Chemical water testing can take as many as 28 days to complete. Testing can be expedited to result within 14 days of receiving the water samples for a fee. No exceptions will be accommodated. Plan accordingly.
| 1 bacteria bottle 1 250 mL metal bottle 1 250 mL neutral bottle | |||
| This test is intended for compliance with Colorado's Regulation 41. The metals listed with an asterisk are filtered. | |||
Specific substance testing
Testing for specific substances in water is available in addition to the common water testing packages listed above. The table below gives an overview of other water testing packages that screen for organic chemicals, inorganic chemicals, individual metals, cyanotoxins, and total coliform.
List of individual substances that can be tested in water and its turnaround times.
- Organic compounds contain carbon and hydrogen bonds such as semivolatile organic compounds (SVOCs), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), pesticides, and oil and grease.
- Inorganic compounds lack a carbon and hydrogen bond. Examples include nitrogen, chlorine, fluoride, and metals. Inorganic testing also inspects for qualities of a water sample such as alkalinity, turbidity, corrosivity, hardness, pH, UV 254, and presence of solids.
- Cyanotoxins are produced by cyanobacteria that contaminate water. The lab can test for total cyanotoxin concentration and for individual concentrations of specific cyanotoxins.
- Coliforms are bacteria that are always present in the digestive tracts and waste products of animals, including humans. They are also found in plant and soil material. E. coli is a type of coliform that indicates fecal pollution and potential presence of pathogens.
If you plan to test for organic compounds, these are tested once a month at the lab and follow a specific testing schedule. Cyanotoxin testing occurs only from May through October.
Organics water testing schedule
Organics water testing samples must arrive at the State Lab within the date ranges listed below. CDPHE is not able to test samples received outside of these delivery time frames and must reject them. Specific substances that are subject to this schedule are listed in the table below and in the organics water testing schedule.
Order collection supplies one month in advance. Order only the number of bottles you need for organic water testing. All bottles must be returned to the lab.
- October 3-5, 2023
- November 7-9, 2023
- December 5-7, 2023
- January 2-4, 2024
- February 6-8, 2024
- March 5-7, 2024
- April 2-4, 2024
- May 7-9, 2024
- June 4-6, 2024
- July 1-3, 2024*
- August 6-8, 2024
- September 3-5, 2024
- October 1-3, 2024
- November 5-7, 2024
- December 3-5, 2024
| Water package/test | Supplies per collection location | Tests | Recommendations and notes |
| EPA 524: BTEX | 3 40 mL VOC vials with ascorbic acid preservative 1 HCl dropper bottle 2 40 mL trip blank vials with acid preservative | Benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and total xylenes | Organics water testing follows a specific schedule. Plan accordingly. |
| EPA 524: TTHMs | 3 40 mL VOC vials with ascorbic acid preservative 1 HCl dropper bottle 2 40 mL trip blank vials with acid preservative | Bromodichloromethane, bromoform, chloroform, dibromochloromethane | Organics water testing follows a specific schedule. Plan accordingly. |
| EPA 524: VOCs | 3 40 mL VOC vials with ascorbic acid preservative 1 HCl dropper bottle 2 40 mL trip blank vials with acid preservative | 1,1,1-trichloroethane; 1,1,2-trichloroethane; 1,1-dichloroethylene; 1,2,4-trichlorobenzene; 1,2-dichloroethane; 1,2-dichloropropane; benzene, carbon tetrachloride, cis-1,2-Dichloroethene; dichloromethane; ethylbenzene; m,p xylene; monochlorobenzene; o-dichlorobenzene; o-xylene; para-dichlorobenzene; styrene; tetrachloroethene; toluene; trans-1,2-dichloroethylene; trichloroethylene; vinyl chloride | Organics water testing follows a specific schedule. Plan accordingly. |
| EPA 524: VOC screen | 3 40 mL VOC vials with ascorbic acid preservative 1 HCl dropper bottle 2 40 mL trip blank vials with acid preservative | Non-quantitative volatile organic compounds and TTHMs | Organics water testing follows a specific schedule. Plan accordingly. |
| EPA 525: SVOCs /pesticides | 3 1 L SVOC bottles 3 HCl dropper bottles | Hexachlorocyclopentadiene, Hexachlorobenzene, Simazine, Atrazine, Pentachlorophenol, Lindane, Alachlor, Heptachlor, Heptachlor epoxide, Endrin, Di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate, Methoxychlor, Di(2-ethylhexyl)adipate, Benzo[a]pyrene | Organics water testing follows a specific schedule. Plan accordingly. |
| EPA 525: SVOC screen | 3 1 L SVOC bottles 3 HCl dropper bottles | Non-quantitative semi-volatile organic compounds | Organics water testing follows a specific schedule. Plan accordingly. |
| EPA 552: Haloacetic acids (HHAs) | 3 40 mL TTHM vials with ascorbic acid 2 40 mL trip blank vials 3 40 mL HHA vials with ammonia chloride 1 HCl dropper bottle | Bromoacetic acid, chloroacetic acid, dibromoacetic acid, dichloroacetic acid, trichloroacetic acid | Organics water testing follows a specific schedule. Plan accordingly. |
| EPA 555: Chlorinated herbicides | 1 500 mL herbicide bottle 3 40 mL dalapon vials 1 HCl acid dropper | Picloram, 2,4-D, 2,4,5-TP, Dinoseb, Pentachlorophenol | Organics water testing follows a specific schedule. Plan accordingly. |
| Organic chemical rules package (SOC package) | 1 40 mL carbamate vial 4 40 mL trace vials 3 40 mL VOC vials 2 40 mL trip blank vials 3 40 mL dalapon vials 1 500 mL herbicide bottle 3 1 L SVOC bottles 1 1 L endothall bottle 1 1 L diquat bottle 4 HCl acid droppers | EPA 504-505, EPA 525: SVOCs, EPA 531.2: Carbamates, EPA 547: Glyphosate, EPA 548: Endothall, EPA 549.2: Diquat, EPA 552.2 HAA5 and Dalapon, EPA 555: Herbicides | Organics water testing follows a specific schedule. Plan accordingly. |
Cyanotoxin testing and schedule
Cyanotoxins are tested weekly on Thursdays and Fridays, May through October. The water samples must be received by the lab Wednesday before noon. If it is received outside of the water testing schedule, you will be charged double the cost of scheduled testing.
A cyanotoxin water test must be received by the lab within three days of collection. Ship the sample immediately after it is collected.
Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)
ELISA is used to find the total concentration of microcystins and nodularin (toxins produced by cyanobacteria) in water, the sample. This will analyze for more than 80 types of microcystins and nodularin. Microcystins are commonly produced by Microcystis, Dolichospermum, Planktothrix, Fischerella, Nostoc, Oschillatoria, and Gloetrichia. Nodularins are produced by Nodularia, which is found most commonly in marine or brackish water.
The minimal risk level (MRL) of total cyanotoxins is 0.4 µg/L (ppb).
Liquid chromatography tandem with mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS)
LC-MS/MS is used to find the individual concentrations of the 11 most common cyanotoxins, which includes eight microcystins, nodularin, anatoxin-a, and cylindrospermopsin. Anatoxin-a is most commonly produced by Anabaena, but some other cyanotoxins are capable of producing it. Cylindrospermopsin are produced by Cylindrospermopsis and aphanizomenon.
The following lists the specific toxins tested by LC-MS/MS. The MRL for all the toxins on this list is 1 µg/L.
- Anatoxin-a
- Cylindrospermopsin
- Nodularin
- Microcystin-LA
- Microcystin-LF
- Microcystin-LR
- Microcystin-LW
- Microcystin-LY
- Microcystin-RR
- Microcystin-WR
- Microcystin-YR
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A 500 mL amber glass bottle or PETG hard plastic bottle |
Total concentration of microcystins and nodularin (cyanotoxins) |
This test is recommended if you want to know the total amount of cyanotoxins in your water. This will not test for specific cyanotoxins.
Cyanotoxin testing is available only from May through October and follows a weekly schedule. Plan accordingly. |
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A 500 mL amber glass bottle or PETG hard plastic bottle |
Individual concentrations for the 11 most common cyanotoxins, including 8 microcystins, nodularin, anatoxin-a, and cylindrospermopsin. |
This test is recommended if you want to know exactly which microcystin is present in your water sample. This test is also recommended if you need to specifically know about anatoxin-a or cylindrospermopsin.
Cyanotoxin testing is available only from May through October and follows a weekly schedule. Plan accordingly. |