Fillmore SWCD Water Quality Laboratory Closing effective 12/31/2026

Fillmore SWCD Water Quality Laboratory Client,

Thank you for your support of our lab services; we have loved being able to serve you and provide private and municipal well water testing, assistance and education to our community since our lab opened in 2009.  However, a part of that chapter will be coming to a close.

Effective December 31^st, 2026, the Fillmore SWCD Water Quality Laboratory will close. 
We will accept bacteria samples until Noon on Wednesday, December 30^th, 2026.

Our decision to close did not come easily, and our staff have been working hard to ensure that our community does not lose access to drinking water testing resources.  Fillmore SWCD will be partnering with the SE MN Water Analysis Laboratory (SEMWAL) in Rochester, MN.  We will also offer a free courier service to bring drinking water samples to Rochester for analysis at SEMWAL.

Fillmore SWCD will begin carrying SEMWAL drinking water test kits starting December 31^st, 2026.  Prices listed reflect current pricing, kits stocked at Fillmore SWCD will include:

• Bacteria (total coliform & E. coli) – $25.00 ***sodium thio. bottles available for municipal water sources
• Quantitative (count) Bacteria (total coliform & E. coli) – $30.00
• Anions (nitrate, nitrite, chloride, sulfate, fluoride) – $28.00
• Metals (arsenic, lead, manganese, iron) – $28.00

Fillmore SWCD staff will offer to transport drinking water samples to be analyzed at SEMWAL beginning January 5^th, 2027; our FREE weekly courier service will be as follows:

• Sample(s) must be collected after 4:00pm on Monday;
• Sample(s) must be delivered to Fillmore SWCD no later than Noon on Tuesday;
• Samples will be transported by Fillmore SWCD staff to SEMWAL on Tuesdays.
• Clients can deliver their own samples to SEMWAL as well.
  They are located at 2100 Campus Drive SE, Rochester, MN 55904.
  Please review SEMWAL sample acceptance guidelines or discuss with Fillmore SWCD/SEMWAL staff to ensure your samples are: received in proper condition; received within proper hold times; and, received within proper lab working hours.

Fillmore SWCD will still be available for private well sampling & education, technical assistance and remediation assistance.
We will also continue to offer free nitrate screening, along with all other regular SWCD operations.

We are excited for this new chapter and to be able to locally provide expanded drinking water testing resources for our community.  We look forward to continuing to provide private well assistance, and welcome constructive feedback to improve as we make this transition.  The Fillmore SWCD website and Facebook page will continually be updated throughout this change and with any other drinking water testing notifications in the future.

Thank you,