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This is not the current EPA website. To navigate to the current EPA website, please go to www.epa.gov. This website is historical material reflecting the EPA website as it existed on January 19, 2025. This website is no longer updated and links to external websites and some internal pages may not work. More information »

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Methods Approved to Analyze Drinking Water Samples to Ensure Compliance with Regulations

  • EPA protects drinking water by requiring that laboratories analyze samples using EPA-approved methods. Learn about drinking water analytical methods.

About Drinking Water Analytical Methods

  • Learn about analytical methods
    • Method Development for Unregulated Contaminants in Drinking Water: Public Meeting and Webinar, June 2018 (PDF) (104 pp, 2.3 MB, About PDF)
  • Lowest Concentration Minimum Reporting Level (LCMRL) Calculator

Approved Methods

  • Approved methods for analyzing drinking water samples
  • Contact information for approved drinking water methods (PDF)(3 pp, 73 K, About PDF)

Submit New Methods for Approval (Alternate Test Procedure Program)

  • Application requirements and process for submitting alternate drinking water methods to EPA

Expedited Approval of Methods

  • Requirements for approving methods using the expedited process
  • January 16, 2025 - EPA announces approval of alternative testing methods
    • Federal Register Action Fact Sheet - Expedited Methods Approval (pdf) (141.66 KB, January 2025, 815-F-25-003)

Related Information

  • Laboratory Certification & Analysis Requirements
  • Have your Drinking Water Tested
  • Clean Water Act Methods
Contact Us About Analytical Methods for Drinking Water to ask a question, provide feedback, or report a problem.
Last updated on January 16, 2025
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