York Durham Regional Environmental Lab

The Regional Municipality of Durham operates the York-Durham Regional Environmental Lab (REL). The REL is at the Duffin Creek Water Pollution Control Plant, 901 McKay Road, Pickering. York and Durham regions own and operate the REL together.

The facility is accredited by the Canadian Association for Laboratory Accreditation to ISO/IEC 17025, and is licensed to test drinking water by the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks. Accreditation is limited to those tests on the laboratory’s current scope of testing.

The lab employs highly skilled staff who use advanced testing equipment. The REL provides analytical services for:

• Potable/treated water
• Plumbing water
• Process water
• Wastewater
• Industrial waste
• Biosolids
• Groundwater
• Surface water
• Storm water
• Spills

We have experts in fields of:

• Microbiology
• Inorganic chemistry
• Organic chemistry

Available testing packages to meet the requirements of:

• Safe Drinking Water Act
• Nutrient Management Act
• New watermain testing
• Lead testing
• Environmental Compliance Approval
• Wastewater regulations
• Sewer Use By-Laws
• Landfill monitoring
• Groundwater Under Direct Influence of Surface Water (GUDI)
• Well monitoring

If you require a Chain of Custody submission form for non-regulated (non-regulated water, wastewater, biosolids), Ontario Regulations 170, 243, or 319 samples, please contact the REL.

Fees for the testing services are updated annually.

Are you bringing in a drinking water sample for testing? Review the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change's Practices for the Collection and Handling of Drinking Water Samples. The standard wait for results is 10 business days. The wait may change depending on the test. The REL is open Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. We are closed on statutory holidays.

For more information, contact us.