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Home › Illinois › Lake County IL Well Water Testing: Health Dept. Lab ($25 Bacteria + Nitrate) · Last updated 2026-11-08

Lake County, IL well water testing: county lab prices

Short answer: Pick up a sterile bottle at the Central Permit Facility, 500 W. Winchester Road, Libertyville, or one of the county's water sample kit sites. Return it to the Libertyville lab Monday–Thursday, 8:00–3:30. The county fee schedule lists the bacteria test (with a nitrate screen) at $25, or $71 for a staff home visit.

About 90,000 Lake County residents rely on groundwater from aquifers to supply their private wells, and another 146,000 rely on community water systems supplied by wells, according to the Lake County Health Department. [source] USGS's 2015 county estimate put the self-supplied population at about 87,000. [source]

The Health Department's Environmental Laboratory tests well water for Lake County residents, and its well program inspects and monitors private wells. [source] [source] The county says every year there are instances of contaminated drinking water in Lake County, and private wells should be tested at least annually. [source]

How county testing works

ItemDetails
Who runs itLake County Health Department and Community Health Center, Environmental Laboratory at the Lake County Central Permit Facility. Its report form lists IDPH Registry #17541 and IEPA Certification #100267. [source] [source]
Who can use itLake County residents. [source]
Standard testTotal coliform, E. coli and a nitrate screen. [source] [source]
Getting a kitStop by the Central Permit Facility or one of the water sample kit sites below, or email a kit request to HealthEHS@lakecountyil.gov. The kit includes a sealed sample bottle, a lab form and sampling instructions. [source] The county's March 2026 release says kits can also be mailed out for $20.00 plus postage. [source]
Kit limitsKits from the kit sites are only for water well testing. They can't be used for community (chlorinated) water. [source]
Where to return samplesLake County Central Permit Facility, 500 W. Winchester Road, Libertyville, IL 60048. Samples are accepted Monday–Thursday, 8:00 a.m.–3:30 p.m.; not on Friday, Saturday or Sunday. [source] [source]
Timing ruleSamples must be analyzed within 24 hours of collection, with no exceptions. Collect just before you bring the sample in, or keep it refrigerated at 35–45°F and carry it in a cooler with an ice pack. [source]
ResultsLab testing takes 24 to 72 hours. [source] The county's March 2026 release says results are ready in approximately three business days. [source] Metals analyses take approximately two to three weeks. [source]
Home visit optionFor a fee, a Health Department staff member visits to collect the sample, inspect the well and provide the bacteria and nitrate analysis. [source] [source]
Contact847-377-8020; HealthEHS@lakecountyil.gov. Office hours are 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. [source] [source]

Prices (2026 Environmental Health Fees Schedule, amended December 1, 2025)

ServiceFee
Bacteriological analysis (the standard kit test: coliform, E. coli and nitrate screen)$25
Collection of sample from the premises (per visit)$71
Nitrate (analytical)$18
Fluoride$15
Arsenic$55
Lead (drinking water)$55
Copper$55
Manganese$55
Total iron$35
Hardness$15
Total dissolved solids$18
pH$10
Chloride$15
Sulfate$18

Fees as listed on page 4 of the schedule, which also prices other analyses. The schedule says these fees are not applied when a communicable disease is suspected or when the Health Department requests the sample for other public health reasons. [source] The county's 2026 release also lists the normal bacteria and nitrate test at $25 and the home visit at $71. During National Groundwater Awareness Week in 2026, the county offered a reduced $20 rate from March 9 to 20. [source]

Mail-out kits: the $20.00-plus-postage price comes from the county's March 2026 press release; confirm it when you call.

Water sample kit sites

Besides the Central Permit Facility in Libertyville, the county lists these kit pickup locations. Call ahead for hours. [source]

The county's kit-site list is dated April 2021; its March 2026 release still describes kits at the Waukegan headquarters and 19 township or municipal offices. [source] [source]

How to collect the sample

  1. Use only a Lake County Health Department sample bottle.
  2. Pick a cold-water fixture without leaks; remove aerators or tap filters, and avoid hoses and outside faucets if you can. If you drink softened water, sample the softened water.
  3. Run the cold water wide open for at least five minutes, until it turns noticeably colder. Don't flame the faucet.
  4. Reduce the flow to a steady, pencil-width stream, open the bottle without touching the rim or inside, and fill it to the top of the shoulder.
  5. Fill in the lab form, including the sample location, the site address, a mailing address and phone numbers. Results can be emailed, faxed or mailed.

Steps summarized from the county's sampling instructions. [source]

If coliform or E. coli is found

Lake County says not to use water with coliform bacteria for drinking, brushing teeth or washing foods that won't be cooked; if E. coli is present, body contact with the water is not advised. The Health Department will inspect the well for damage or flooding in these cases. The well and plumbing must be chlorinated, preferably by a licensed water well contractor, the chlorine flushed out, and a new sample collected. [source] The county posts a list of licensed water well contractors. [source] IDPH adds that if bacteria are found, boil water before using it for drinking and cooking. [source] See our coliform guide.

Nitrate, fluoride, lead and arsenic

Nitrate: the county says high nitrate is uncommon in Lake County, but levels above 10 milligrams per liter can be harmful to infants. If an infant or a pregnant mother lives in the household, test for nitrate at least once a year. [source] IDPH says not to boil nitrate-contaminated water, because boiling concentrates nitrate. [source] See our nitrate guide.

Fluoride: fluoride occurs naturally in groundwater, and in some areas natural levels may be higher than in community water. The county says to have a well's fluoride level tested before giving a child a fluoride supplement. [source]

Lead: household plumbing is the most common source of lead in drinking water, and the county cites the 15 parts per billion federal limit. Boiling will not remove lead. To reduce exposure, use cold water for drinking and cooking, never mix baby formula with hot tap water, and run cold water for three minutes or more first. [source] [source]

Arsenic: arsenic can enter groundwater from natural deposits or from farm and industrial practices; EPA's drinking-water standard is 10 parts per billion. Well owners can pick up sterile metals bottles and return them to the Environmental Laboratory in Libertyville. [source]

Abandoned wells

Wells no longer used must be sealed by an Illinois licensed water well contractor or the property owner, under a Health Department permit approved before the work. Notify the department at least 24 hours before sealing. Keeping a well for outdoor use when you have another primary water source requires Health Department approval. [source]

Other labs

The county lists private labs that test water, including Culligan Analytical Laboratory in Rosemont (847-430-2800), Sterling Labs in Des Plaines (800-246-0663), Pace Analytical in McHenry (815-344-4044) and Suburban Laboratories in Hillside (708-544-3260); contact each lab for specifics. [source] Illinois EPA keeps the statewide list of accredited labs. [source] IDPH interprets test results and gives recommendations for free. [source]

See our Illinois guide.

Prefer a mail-in kit? Tap Score says its samples are analyzed through SimpleLab's network of over 250 accredited US laboratories. [source] See Tap Score well water tests (TODO: affiliate link placeholder – not active yet)

FAQ

Where can I get my well water tested in Lake County, Illinois?

Pick up a sterile bottle at the Central Permit Facility, 500 W. Winchester Road, Libertyville, or one of the county's water sample kit sites. Return it to the Libertyville lab Monday–Thursday, 8:00–3:30. The county fee schedule lists the bacteria test (with a nitrate screen) at $25, or $71 for a staff home visit.

How much does well water testing cost in Lake County, IL?

The Lake County Health Department's 2026 fee schedule lists the bacteriological analysis at $25; the standard kit test covers total coliform, E. coli and a nitrate screen. A staff visit to collect the sample costs $71. Other tests include fluoride $15, analytical nitrate $18, and arsenic, lead or copper $55 each.

Where do I drop off a well water sample in Lake County, IL?

At the Lake County Central Permit Facility, 500 W. Winchester Road, Libertyville, Monday through Thursday, 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Samples are not accepted Friday through Sunday and must be analyzed within 24 hours of collection.

How long do Lake County well water test results take?

The county's sampling instructions say lab testing takes 24 to 72 hours, and its March 2026 release says results are ready in about three business days. Metals analyses take about two to three weeks.

Sources

  1. Lake County, IL – Water Wells (Lake County Health Department) (accessed 2026-11-08)
  2. Lake County, IL – Environmental Laboratory (accessed 2026-11-08)
  3. Lake County Health Department – 2026 Environmental Health Fees Schedule, Fees for Water Analysis, amended December 1, 2025 (PDF, p. 4) (accessed 2026-11-08)
  4. Lake County Health Department – Water Sample Kit Participants (PDF) (accessed 2026-11-08)
  5. Lake County Health Department – Private Water Well Testing brochure (PDF) (accessed 2026-11-08)
  6. Lake County Environmental Laboratory – Microbiological Analysis Report Form and sampling steps (PDF) (accessed 2026-11-08)
  7. Lake County Health Department – Commonly Found Metals in Drinking Water (PDF) (accessed 2026-11-08)
  8. Lake County Health Department – Is There Lead in My Drinking Water? (PDF) (accessed 2026-11-08)
  9. Lake County Health Department – Abandoned Water Wells brochure (PDF) (accessed 2026-11-08)
  10. Lake County Health Department – Water Testing Laboratories (PDF, as of 3/3/2026) (accessed 2026-11-08)
  11. Lake County, IL – Health Department Offers Reduced Well Water Testing Rates (press release, March 9, 2026) (accessed 2026-11-08)
  12. Illinois Department of Public Health – Private Well Testing (accessed 2026-10-23)
  13. Illinois EPA – Accredited Labs (IL ELAP) (accessed 2026-11-01)
  14. USGS – Estimated Use of Water in the United States, County-Level Data for 2015 (domestic self-supplied population) (accessed 2026-10-23)

Informational only, not health, medical, legal or real-estate advice. Programs and fees change; confirm with the official source. See our disclaimer and affiliate disclosure.