APPLETON, Wis. (WFRV) – After April flooding raised concerns about contaminated private wells, Outagamie County Public Health is offering free water testing to residents in impacted areas.
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Health officials say the decision came after seeing the extent of damage in parts of the county and wanting to provide some relief during recovery.
“When the floods took place in April and really impacted a lot of our areas in Outagamie County, in the northwest quadrant of the county, we said that we needed to do something,” Outagamie County Public Health’s Amanda Hildeman said.
Since launching the effort, the county has seen a significant increase in participation compared to typical testing levels, with dozens of kits distributed and returned. Some of those samples have tested positive for bacteria, including coliform and, in some cases, E. coli.
“We’ve given out about 70, and we’ve had 46 that have been returned and tested, and of those 46, we have had four positive tests,” Hildeman said.
Officials say contamination can occur when floodwater reaches a well, even if there are no visible signs afterward.
“[You] need to assume that your well is contaminated if the water goes over your well head,” Hildeman said, noting that floodwater can also impact surrounding systems underground.
To make testing more accessible, the county has brought services directly to affected communities and is continuing to offer collection sites, including at the Shiocton Town Hall, with additional drop-off locations available through next week.
The situation is also highlighting the importance of routine well testing. Hildeman says many homeowners are not testing their water regularly, despite recommendations to do so at least once a year or whenever there are changes in smell, taste, or appearance.
“From talking with residents, we’ve learned that a lot of them aren’t actually even doing that annual testing,” Hildeman said.
If a test comes back positive, health officials say homeowners should disinfect their well through a chlorination process and then follow up with another test to ensure the water is safe.
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“The next steps are going to be coordinating their well… and then we recommend resampling,” Environmental Health Sanitarian Michaela Prince Rickert said.
Officials say the goal is to make sure residents have access to safe drinking water as they continue recovering from the flooding.
