Kenosha County Public Health announced on Apr. 21 that it is providing free well-testing services to residents affected by recent flooding along the Fox River and other areas. The service aims to help ensure the safety of drinking water for those whose wells may have been compromised by floodwaters.
The availability of clean water is critical following floods, as contaminated wells can pose health risks. Residents can pick up test kits during business hours at several locations across the county, including the Kenosha County Center in Bristol, multiple village and town halls such as Pleasant Prairie, Randall, Salem Lakes, Somers, Twin Lakes, Wheatland, Bristol Village Hall, and Paddock Lake Village Hall. Sample collection will take place at all locations from Tuesday through Thursday this week and Monday through Thursday next week.
“With the flood waters possibly going into your well, we’d like to make sure you have safe water,” said Health Officer Ricky Ferrari Traner. “If the floodwater went over your well casing, you should also sanitize your well before testing.” Well testing information is available on the Kenosha County website at https://www.kenoshacountywi.gov/352/Private-and-Public-Well-Water-Tests and guidance on sanitizing wells can be found at https://www.kenoshacountywi.gov/2518/Drinking-Water-Safety.
Other resources related to flood preparedness are also accessible online at https://www.kenoshacountywi.gov/2474/Flood-Preparedness-Resources.
While public health remains a focus amid environmental challenges like flooding, education statistics provide additional context about Kenosha County’s community profile. Indian Trail High School and Academy had the highest enrollment among local schools for the 2023-24 school year with 2,001 students; Tremper High School followed with 1,458 students; Bradford High School had 1,448 students according to data from Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. Of the county’s total student population of 25,402 in that period: white students made up 55.6% (14,124), Hispanic students were second largest at 25.7% (6,528), Black students accounted for 10.4% (2,642), multiracial students represented 6.6%, American Indian students were just 0.2%, and Pacific Islander students comprised only 0.1% according to state data.
As recovery efforts continue following this season’s floods and with ongoing support from public agencies like Kenosha County Public Health offering practical assistance such as free water testing kits for private wells—residents are encouraged to use these resources to safeguard their families’ health.
