LCRA Environmental Laboratory Services

A NELAP laboratory providing quality testing to safeguard public health and ensure regulatory compliance.

Test your water

  1. Review commonly requested residential tests on the Request for Testing page of the Residential Water Supply Testing form.
  2. Complete the online form to order a bottle kit.
  3. We will ship you the kit, or you can pick it up directly from our lab.
  4. Collect a sample from your water source by following the Sample Collection and Shipping Instructions.
  5. Ship the kit back to us on ice, or you can drop it off at our lab and pay for the service.
  6. We will analyze the samples and provide you the final report in electronic format.

How to choose testing parameters

  1. Match your highest concerns or observations with the list of common contaminants found in drinking water sources.
  2. If you have additional questions, call us at 512-730-6022 or email us at [email protected].

Requirements for residential water testing

In general, there are no requirements for testing residential water sources. The Environmental Protection Agency and most states don’t require residents to routinely test their private drinking or domestic water sources for contaminants.

However, other entities may require testing or individuals may want their drinking water or agricultural water analyzed for potential contaminants. Some common reasons individuals get their water tested:

  • Real estate transactions – For loan requirements or a buyer’s confidence that the water is safe to drink.
  • New water wells – To test for a standard “new well” construction parameter suite.
  • Hydraulic fracturing processes – To test for contamination of injected chemicals in a groundwater aquifer source.
  • Stormwater pollution – To test for nutrient run-off from agricultural areas or sources that contain a high nutrient content like fertilizers.
  • Bacteria (E. coli.) – To confirm purchased drinking water is free of bacteria.