Water Sample Shipment Schedule

Water sample kits are available at local Northwestern Health Unit (NWHU) offices for free. You can ship your sample yourself or drop off your sample to us and we will ship it to an accredited laboratory for a small fee. Results will be mailed to you.

Please note that in rare circumstances, courier companies may face delays that could impact the delivery time of samples.

Water sample shipment fees

The fees are:

Private water samples $3.00 ($2.65 + $0.35 HST)
Small Drinking Water Systems samples $5.00 ($4.42 + $0.58 HST)

Schedule for shipping water samples

Between October 8, 2024, and April 8, 2025, shipments use the following schedule:

Water samples are shipped on the second Tuesday of every month from the NWHU offices. We must receive the samples before the times noted:

Dryden – 12:00 pm
Ear Falls – 10:30 am
Emo – 12:00 pm
Fort Frances – 2:00 pm
Ignace – 9:30 am
Kenora – 1:00 pm
Rainy River – 10:30 am
Red Lake – 10:00 am
Sioux Lookout – 10:00am
Sioux Narrows – No Water Collection

Summer water sampling will resume in April. During the summer, samples are sent monthly in Atikokan, Ear Falls, Emo, Ignace, Rainy River, Red Lake and Sioux Narrows, and weekly in Dryden, Fort Frances, Kenora and Sioux Lookout.

Sending samples directly

You can send water samples to the laboratory directly.

Here’s how:

Ensure the name sticker is completed and placed on the sample bottle
Ensure the paperwork is filled out, placed in a plastic bag, and packed with the water sample
Pack the water sample in a suitable box, with an ice pack to keep it cool while shipping. The ice pack can be as simple as a frozen bottle of water.
Line the box with packing material (ie; newspaper). When packing the sample try and separate the ice pack and water sample bottle so they aren’t directly touching, and pack it tight so there is little movement during transit.
Choose the appropriate courier/shipping service. Samples must arrive at the lab on a Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday and within 24 hours from the time of sampling.
Private water samples can be sent to:
- Public Health Lab
  336 Syndicate Ave S
  Thunder Bay ON P7E 1E3
  1-807-622-6449
Small Drinking Water System samples can be sent to a private lab