Missouri Department of Health

Daryl Buchholz
Department of Agronomy

The Department of Health is responsible for protecting the health of the people of Missouri through its programs.

The Department of Health and Water Quality

The Department of Health's State Public Health Laboratory tests public and private water supplies for the presence of various water polluting substances that could be health hazards. The laboratory has two main units for testing.

The Chemistry Unit

This unit conducts chemical analyses on public and private water supplies to determine the presence of minerals, nitrates, certain pesticides and other chemical characteristics.

The Environmental Bacteriological Unit

This unit tests public and private water supplies for the presence of coliform bacteria that suggest wastes are entering the water supply.

To test your water

For more information on testing your well or drinking water for the presence of minerals, alkalinity hardness, nitrates or certain pesticides, contact the Chemistry Unit of the Public Health Laboratory at 573-751-3334.

To test the bacterial levels in your well or drinking water, contact your county health department. Send the kit they gave you and a water sample to the Environmental Bacteriological Unit.

Other private labs in Missouri and other Midwest states will also test water samples for the presence of contaminants and for drinkability.

This publication was written by Karen DeFelice, former associate extension agronomist; Nyle Wollenhaupt, former state extension agronomist; and Daryl Buchholz, state extension agronomist. This material is based upon work supported by the United States Department of Agriculture, Extension Service, under special project number 89-EWQI-1-9203.