Harford County is expanding its ability to monitor drinking water safety with a new state-certified in-house laboratory for PFAS testing, a move county
officials say makes it the first county in Maryland to operate its own certified lab for these contaminants.
The new capability allows Harford to test for PFAS, often called “forever chemicals,” in-house rather than relying solely on outside labs, significantly reducing turnaround time for results. For a county utility system serving more than 130,000 customers, that shift could mean faster response, lower long-term costs, and more direct control over water quality monitoring.
Why This Matters
PFAS, short for perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a group of man-made chemicals used in a wide range of industrial and consumer products. Because they do not easily break down, PFAS can accumulate in the environment over time and have become a growing concern for drinking water systems nationwide. That has pushed local governments and utilities to pay closer attention to both testing capacity and regulatory compliance.
According to the county press release, Harford has been testing public water for PFAS through outside labs since 2012, with results consistently below current regulatory limits.
The decision to move testing in-house changes the operational picture. Now, samples that previously took weeks to process can now be analyzed in days, helping improve both monitoring speed and system responsiveness. The county has reported that the new lab will strengthen its ability to manage testing needs internally rather than relying entirely on outside vendors.
The lab is located at the Abingdon Water Treatment Plant and represents a $700,000 investment in county water quality infrastructure. That investment includes specialized testing equipment capable of detecting PFAS at part-per-trillion levels, which is necessary to meet modern drinking water testing standards. County officials say the lab could also create future opportunities to support testing for schools, libraries, recreation centers, and other facilities served by well water.
