The Rhode Island State Health Laboratories is certified to test drinking water. Testing helps make sure your water is safe to drink. Water that is not appropriately treated or from a safe source can make you sick. Issues related to taste, color, odor, or staining may also be signs of a possible water quality problem.
The Lab is Moving!
The State Health Laboratories is not accepting drinking water samples while it moves operations to its new building. While the Lab is not accepting samples, you can submit samples to another certified drinking water testing lab. Learn more.
Mission
To assure the quality of drinking water supplies by testing for chemical and microbiological contaminants.
What we do
- Identify and quantify chemical and microbiological contaminants in public drinking water supplies as mandated by the federal Safe Drinking Water Act and state regulations.
- Test water samples submitted by private well owners (and homeowners who receive water from a public water system, upon request), using the same methodology to ensure safe drinking water for individual homes.
- Participate in the national Environmental Response Laboratory Network (ERLN) and the Water Laboratory Alliance (WLA), a network of laboratories qualified to provide water testing support to the EPA, states, and municipalities in response to incidents of contamination that impair public water supplies.
What you should do
Know who should test their drinking water
- Private well owners: You are responsible for testing your water to make sure it is safe to drink. This includes routine recommended testing and required tests if you are buying or selling a home or installing a new well. Learn more about testing your well water.
- Public water customers: If you get your tap water from a public water system, it is rigorously and frequently tested to make sure it meets the high standards required by the Safe Drinking Water Act. You may still wish to test your water if you are considering a home water treatment unit. It is a good idea to understand what is in your water and what you may want to remove before you make any decisions.
Order testing
Always use a certified water testing laboratory to test your drinking water.
Review your results
If you use the State Health Laboratories, you will receive your results by email or mail within 10-14 business days.
For more information on how to read and understand your results, see the Understanding Your Lab Report worksheet or Reading Your Water Analysis Report guide. You can also call URI’s Water Quality Program to discuss treatment options and what you should do next.
Accomplishments
- Conducted 29,598 public water tests in 2024 for contaminants regulated by the Safe Drinking Water Act and RIDOH.
- Received EPA certification for PFAS (forever chemicals) testing in drinking water by EPA Method 533.
- Maintain US EPA Safe Drinking Water laboratory certification to analyze regulated chemical and microbiological contaminants in drinking water.
- Maintain capacity to identify harmful blue-green algae and measure the concentration of cyanotoxins released when harmful algal blooms occur in water supply reservoirs.
- Conducted 3,922 tests for contamination in private well water.