Key Takeaways:
- Meet SPL Commerce City: Since joining forces with Colorado Analytical Labs in Fall 2025, SPL Commerce City has expanded capacity and strengthened service across Colorado and the Rocky Mountain region.
- Principal State Laboratory Designation: Official recognition within Colorado’s Principal State Laboratory Network confirms comprehensive testing capabilities, rigorous quality systems, and scalable capacity.
- Purpose-Built for Environmental Testing: Operating from a 13,000-square-foot environmental laboratory and 3,700-square-foot Service Center, the facility is designed for efficiency, growth, and consistent data quality.
- High-Throughput, High-Confidence Testing: Core services include Metals by ICP-MS, BOD-5, and Coliform testing—anchoring SPL’s environmental footprint in the Mountain West.
- PFAS-Ready: New instrumentation enables comprehensive PFAS analysis, supporting Colorado’s adoption of stringent EPA standards.
- Built for What’s Next: As 2027 monitoring deadlines approach, SPL Commerce City is scaling capacity to help municipalities meet compliance requirements without compromising turnaround times.
- Infrastructure That Delivers Certainty: With state and EPA Region 8 certifications, the lab plays a critical role in Colorado’s environmental testing infrastructure, delivering the “Science of Sure.”
When SPL and Colorado Analytical Laboratories joined forces in Fall 2025, we promised an expanded scope of services for energy, industrial, and municipal customers throughout Colorado and the Rocky Mountain region. A few months later, the laboratory in Colorado was formally designated as part of Colorado’s Principal State Laboratory Network. The Principal State Laboratory designation confirms the lab’s ability to support comprehensive testing coverage, maintain robust quality systems, and deliver defensible data. This designation also reflects the capacity to absorb additional demand while maintaining quality standards and expected turnaround times. As the newest member of the SPL family, allow us to further introduce SPL Commerce City.
Purpose-Built for Environmental Testing
The Commerce City laboratory was incorporated in 1962, beginning its journey in agronomic testing. By 2001, a thoughtful, multi-year transformation evolved the lab into a fully environmental-testing focused operation. The commitment to quality, adaptability, and long-term relationships was and continues to be the foundation of everything we do in Colorado.
SPL Commerce City operates out of a 13,000-square-foot, purpose-built environmental laboratory and a 3,700-square-foot Service Center in Lakewood, CO. The team’s long-term vision – efficient workflows, room to grow, and a space that supports both quality data and a strong employee experience – is the driving force in further growth.
Behind the Data
The lab holds certifications in Colorado, and clients primarily come directly to the lab for testing services.
Some of the lab’s highest-throughput tests include: Metals by ICP-MS, BOD-5, and testing for Coliform Bacteria. This combination of technical capability and operational consistency helps anchor SPL’s growing environmental footprint in the Mountain West
Additionally, the laboratory recently acquired the instrumentation to perform comprehensive PFAs analysis, supporting the emerging testing needs of the Colorado market.
The Commerce City story is one of evolution, leadership, and investment in doing things the right way—values customers see in action every day at SPL.
What’s Next?
It’s a pivotal time in Colorado. In addition to the state requiring more robust and reliable testing capacity for its drinking water systems, Colorado is adopting the EPA’s stringent new PFAS standards. This means, the race for compliance is on. Our Commerce City lab is a participant in this shift; as a designated Principal State Laboratory, we are a critical piece of the state’s infrastructure. We are scaling our high-throughput testing, including Metals and Coliform, to ensure that as municipalities face the 2027 monitoring deadlines, they have a partner that delivers the “Science of Sure” without the bottleneck.
Colorado’s regulatory landscape is evolving. Make sure your testing partner evolves with it. Learn more about our Environmental services.
Contact SPL to secure scalable, certified environmental testing backed by the Science of Sure.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the SPL Commerce City laboratory?
SPL Commerce City is a 13,000-square-foot, purpose-built environmental testing laboratory located in Commerce City, Colorado, with an additional 3,700-square-foot Service Center in Lakewood. The laboratory provides analytical testing services for energy, industrial, municipal, and environmental clients throughout Colorado and the Rocky Mountain region.
What does it mean to be designated as a Principal State Laboratory in Colorado?
Designation within Colorado’s Principal State Laboratory Network confirms that the laboratory meets the state’s highest standards for testing capacity, quality systems, data defensibility, and reliability. It also signifies the ability to absorb increased testing demand while maintaining consistent turnaround times and regulatory compliance.
What types of testing does SPL Commerce City perform?
The laboratory provides comprehensive environmental testing services, including:
- Metals analysis by ICP-MS
- Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD-5)
- Total Coliform and microbiological testing
- Comprehensive PFAS analysis
- Drinking water and wastewater testing
These services support regulatory compliance, environmental monitoring, and public health protection.
Is SPL Commerce City certified for regulatory testing?
Yes. The laboratory holds certifications in Colorado and within EPA Region 8. These certifications allow the lab to provide defensible data that meets state and federal environmental regulations.
Does the lab offer PFAS testing in Colorado?
Yes. SPL Commerce City has recently expanded its capabilities with instrumentation for comprehensive PFAS analysis. This supports municipalities, utilities, and industrial clients as Colorado adopts the EPA’s new, more stringent PFAS standards.
How is SPL Commerce City preparing for the 2027 PFAS monitoring deadlines?
The laboratory is scaling high-throughput testing capacity, expanding instrumentation, and strengthening workflow efficiency to support municipalities facing 2027 federal monitoring requirements. As a designated Principal State Laboratory, SPL plays a critical role in helping Colorado communities meet compliance deadlines without delays.
Who are SPL Commerce City’s primary clients?
Clients include municipal drinking water systems, wastewater treatment facilities, energy producers, industrial operations, environmental consultants, and regulatory agencies across Colorado and the Mountain West.
How does SPL Commerce City ensure data quality and consistency?
The laboratory maintains robust quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC) systems, standardized operating procedures, certified analysts, and validated instrumentation. Its Principal State Laboratory designation reflects sustained performance in delivering accurate, defensible, and timely data.
Why is environmental testing capacity important in Colorado right now?
Colorado is increasing regulatory requirements for drinking water systems, including adoption of stricter PFAS standards. As monitoring requirements expand, laboratories must provide reliable capacity, fast turnaround times, and high-quality data to help municipalities remain compliant and protect public health.
What makes SPL Commerce City different from other environmental labs in Colorado?
SPL Commerce City combines long-standing regional expertise, purpose-built infrastructure, high-throughput capabilities, state-level designation, and expanded PFAS capacity. Its operational scale and quality systems position it as a key infrastructure partner for Colorado’s environmental compliance needs.