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Oconee County
UGA Extension Office

Testing Services

Whether you'd like to increase your crop yield, grow healthier roses, test the quality of your drinking water, or make sure you creek isn't polluted, we can help! We provide testing for soil, plant tissue, water quality, animal waste, feeds and forages, pesticides, and much more.  *Prices are subject to change. 

Soil Testing

Cost: $8.00 per sample bag

Instructions for Taking Soil Sample:

  1. With a spade, trowel, auger, or soil sampling tube, take a thin vertical slice of soil from at least 10-20 different places in the area to be tested. Mix thoroughly together, and fill the soil sample bag (provided at the Extension Office) at least to the "fill line". Two cups of soil is all that is required.
  2. For row crops sample to plow depth; for lawns and turf and pasture surface 4" depth; gardens surface 6" depth; orchards surface 8 to 12" depth; and pecan groves surface 6 to 8" depth. For more detailed information on soil sampling guidelines contact your county Extension office.
  3. One sample should represent no more than 15 acres. If more than one soil type is present within sampling area, take a separate sample from each soil type. Avoid sampling high and low spots, areas along roads, old fence rows, fertilizer bands, etc. Sample problem areas separately.

Soil Sampling Instructions

Water Testing

Cost and instructions vary depending on test. Return all water tests to the Oconee County Extension Office on Monday-Wednesday by 11:00 a.m.  Contact Oconee County Extension Office for questions or test instruction details.

Basic Water and Pond (W1)

Cost: $22

Test: pH & minerals; 125ml plastic bottle

Expanded Water Test (W2)

Cost: $62

Test: pH, minerals, anions, soluble salts, alkalinity & carbon dioxide; 1 pint plastic bottle

Total Coliform/E. coli Test (W35)

Cost: $38

Test: 25ml specialty bottle

Home Loan Closing Test (W33B)

Cost: $87 (+ $55 optional rush fee)

Test: nitrate, nitrite, lead, total coliform & E. coli; 125ml plastic bottle and 125ml specialty bottle

Note: Oconee County Extension no longer provides independent 3rd-party testing services for Home Loan Closing tests.

Private Well Chemical Test (W33C)

Cost: $122

Test: pH, minerals, anions, soluble salts, alkalinity, carbon dioxide, total nitrate, nitrite, lead & arsenic; 1 qt. plastic bottle

Fish Pond General Quality (W34C)

Cost: $37 

Test: nitrate, nitrite, lead, total coliform & E. coli; 125ml plastic bottle and 125ml specialty bottle

Plant Analysis

Cost: varies

Test: pests, fungi, tissue elemental nutrient content, etc.

Forage Testing

Cost: varies

Test: hays, silage, and feed analysis for cattle, small ruminants, and horses

Forage Sampling Instructions

Litter/Compost/Biosolid Testing

Cost: varies

Test: nitrogen & minerals