Environmental Health Services

The Consolidated Environmental Laboratory is a partnership between the Health Department and the Water Resources Agency. It is certified by the Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program of the California Department of Public Health. The consolidated laboratory conducts tests on samples derived from the environment for the purpose of assuring safe food, drinking water, reclaimed water, storm water run-off, and irrigation water. These services support the Board of Supervisor's mission to improve the quantity and quality of water supply for the region by: 1) assuring that ground water quality is protected from contaminants such as nitrates; and 2) promoting use of reclaimed water from the Monterey County Water Recycling Projects by assuring its safety for food crop irrigation.

Environmental Laboratory Certification and Fields of Testing

The Monterey County Environmental Laboratory is certified by the Environmental Lab Accreditation Program (ELAP) within the California Department of Public Health’s Division of Drinking Water and Environmental Management.

Please see the laboratory's page for information on fees and water sampling collection instructions

Environmental Laboratory Sample Drop Off Locations

The Monterey County Health Department Laboratory is located at 1270 Natividad Road, Salinas, CA 93906. The entrance to the laboratory is located on the back side of the Health Department Building on the lower level.  Our hours are 8:00am – 5:00pm Monday thru Friday. We are open during lunch. Samples should be dropped off at the laboratory as soon as possible after collection. We do offer two additional drop off locations to help serve the Monterey and South County communities. Samples may be dropped off at the following two Health Department Facilities on the same day of collection. 

REMEMBER: SAMPLES SHOULD BE COOLED AFTER COLLECTION UNTIL RECEIVED AT THE LABORATORY(e.g. iced cooler).

Health department offices can provide for cold storage/transport from point of receipt.