How to verify a New York water lab's ELAP certification for the exact test you need

Short answer: Do not take a lab’s word for it. Look it up yourself in New York’s free public ELAP database. Search the lab, then check three things before you schedule:

1. It holds certification in the right category. Drinking (Potable) Water is a separate category from Non-Potable Water, so a lab certified only for the latter cannot be assumed certified for a drinking-water test.
2. It holds certification for the specific analyte and method your test needs. Each analyte is certified on its own — a lab certified for bacteria is not automatically certified for lead, arsenic, or PFAS.
3. That certification’s Effective Date and Expiration Date cover today.

This is a New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) Wadsworth Center registry. It is not a claim any lab’s own marketing or this directory can substitute for.

Who actually certifies a water lab in New York

New York’s Environmental Laboratory Approval Program (ELAP) was established in 1984 under Section 502 of the Public Health Law. It is administered by the Wadsworth Center, part of the NYS Department of Health. ELAP certifies laboratories that perform environmental analyses on samples originating in New York State, including drinking-water testing.

There is no separate, EPA-run national list of certified labs. The U.S. EPA gives states primary responsibility, known as “primacy”, for applying Safe Drinking Water Act standards. Public water systems use state-certified laboratories — evaluated and approved under methods EPA has approved — to test drinking-water samples. In New York, ELAP is that state program. A national “top labs” list or a lab’s own claim of being “EPA-certified” is not the same thing as a current ELAP record for the specific test you need.

Step 1: Look the lab up in the state’s own search tool

New York’s public ELAP search tool (apps.health.ny.gov) lets you search by laboratory name, state, county, and lab type. It also has an Advanced Search that filters by category, analyte, or method. For example, you can pull every ELAP lab certified for a specific EPA test method, rather than relying on a lab’s self-description. Use this tool directly rather than trusting a “certified” badge on a lab’s own website — it is the same registry ELAP itself maintains.

Step 2: Match the category to your test

ELAP certification is organized into separate fields of accreditation. Drinking (Potable) Water is its own distinct category, alongside Non-Potable Water, Solid and Chemical Materials (Solid/Hazardous Waste), and Air and Emissions. If you need a drinking-water result — for a private well, a home sale, or a loan condition — confirm the lab’s record shows certification specifically in the Potable Water category. A lab that only appears certified under Non-Potable Water is certified for a different kind of sample, not drinking water.

Step 3: Match the analyte and method, then check the dates

A lab’s individual ELAP record lists each certification as its own row: Certificate Type, Category, Analyte, Method, Effective Date, and Expiration Date. That structure means certification is granted per specific analyte and testing method within a category. It is not one blanket “certified lab” stamp. Before you schedule:

• Find the exact analyte you need in the lab’s record, not just the lab’s name on a list — for example, a specific bacteria test, a metal like lead or arsenic, or a PFAS compound.
• Confirm the Method column matches what your loan, county law, or program requires, if you were told to use a specific method.
• Check that today’s date falls between the Effective Date and the Expiration Date for that specific analyte/method row — a lab can be currently certified for some analytes and have an expired or absent certification for others.

If PFAS is the reason you’re testing: PFAS drinking-water analysis is measured using specific EPA methods — EPA Methods 533 and 537.1 — which together can identify 29 individual PFAS compounds. This is a distinct method set from the ones used for bacteria, nitrate, or metals. States generally certify laboratories specifically to support drinking-water compliance monitoring for regulated contaminants. PFAS-method certification is its own line item on a lab’s record. A lab’s general drinking-water certification does not by itself confirm it is certified for a PFAS method. Search the lab’s record, or use the Advanced Search by method, for EPA 533 or EPA 537.1 specifically before assuming a lab can run a PFAS test.

What this doesn’t tell you

A source-backed listing on this directory is not itself a certification. This guide does not certify, endorse, or guarantee any lab’s current status, availability, pricing, or suitability for your situation — only NYSDOH/ELAP can do that, through the registry above. Certification records change. Always confirm current scope directly on the state’s own search tool immediately before you schedule, not from a cached list, including this one. This guide covers the verification process only. It is general information, not legal, financial, or health advice, and it does not address what a test result means for your health or your property.

Next step

Once you’ve confirmed a lab’s current ELAP scope covers your category, analyte, and method, contact that lab directly to schedule and to ask about turnaround time and pricing. Certification status does not set price, so get that from the lab. If you’re testing because of a New York mortgage closing, see how to find a certified lab for an FHA, VA, or USDA well water test in New York for the loan-specific process. Or browse all guides for other New York water-testing topics.