Water Quality Laboratory
Normal Hours of Operation
The lab is open 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM, Monday through Friday
Samples are only accepted according to the following schedule:
Monday through Thursday, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM; Friday, 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM *Hours will vary to accommodate government holidays.
Please ring the doorbell at the laboratory and our staff will greet you to accept your samples.
If you are submitting pool samples:
- Pool samples are only accepted between the hours of 8:00 AM and 3:00 PM.
- Pseudomonas expedited turnaround time (rush order) is limited to 4-day and 5-day only.
Questions? Contact us at (508) 375-6605
Now Available: PFAS Monitoring!
The Barnstable County Water Quality Laboratory is proud to announce that it has been certified by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental protection for the analysis of for Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in drinking water. This achievement positions the laboratory as one of only five in Massachusetts equipped to conduct PFAS testing, a vital step in addressing the region’s growing concerns over water contamination.
Did you receive a letter from your local water department regarding potential lead in your water lines?
Here’s what you should know.
- Activated Carbon
- Aeration
- Bacteria
- Bottled Water
- Copper
- Drinking Water Standards
- Drinking Water Wells
- Fluoride
- Hydrogen Sulfide
- Ion Exchange
- Iron Manganese
- Lead
- Man-made Chemicals
- Microfiltration
- MtBE
- Nitrate
- Owner Responsibility
- Ozone
- pH
- Radon
- Reverse Osmosis
- Sodium
- Treatment Questions
- Ultra-Violet
- Well Water Testing
Location
3195 Main Street, Barnstable, MA (At the top of the hill in the Barnstable County complex)
Laboratory Mission
The mission of the laboratory is to protect the public health from exposure to environmental and anthropogenic contamination through monitoring and analysis of the Cape’s drinking water supplies, ground-water and surface water sources. Public water supplies and public bathing beaches on Cape Cod are routinely monitored for bacteriological, inorganic and chemical parameters to ensure compliance with Sate and Federal Safe Drinking Water Act standards.
Turnaround Times
The BCDHE Laboratory offers a standard turnaround of two weeks, however, rush services are available. The standard rush times are 1 day (100% surcharge), 2 days (75% surcharge), 3 days (60% surcharge), 4 days (50% surcharge) and 5 days (25% surcharge). Additional special requests will be considered and quoted for the customer’s convenience.
Certification
The BCDHE laboratory is certified to test drinking water, bathing beaches, groundwater and wastewater. The BCDHE performs all analyses in conformance with testing methods required by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Mass DEP and APHA standard methods.
