Well Testing Kits Being Used
Well testing kits
provided by county
have been popular
By Ted Pennekamp
Crawford County Nurse Gloria Wall said that many residents in the Soldiers Grove, Gays Mills and Steuben areas have been calling and taking advantage of water testing kits for private wells since heavy rains caused the Kickapoo River to flood in the wake of the storm of July 19.
The Kickapoo River reached 18.9 feet in Soldiers Grove by July 21, 18.08 in Gays Mills on July 22 and 17 feet in Steuben on July 22. Flood stages are 13 feet for Soldiers Grove, 13 feet for Gays Mills and 12 feet for Steuben. As of July 27 the river had gone down to 9.5 feet in Soldiers Grove, 10.3 in Gays Mills, and 12 feet in Steuben. A flood warning was still in effect for the Kickapoo River as of July 27.
“Our biggest concern is that people have safe food and safe water,” said Wall. “The electricity was off in some areas for quite awhile.”
Wall said the Public Health Department distributed well testing kits in Soldiers Grove, Gays Mills and Steuben. She also said the department took a number of calls from people whose wells were affected.
“If your water smells bad, tastes bad, or is cloudy, get it tested,” she said, in noting that private citizens can use the kits to test their own wells or they can have a professional do the testing. The villages test their own wells.
Wall said that there are instructions with the kits that show people how to sanitize their wells and then take a sample. The sample then needs to get to the state lab for testing within 30 hours of the sample being taken.
Wall said a lot of people already know how to use the well testing kits because they have had their wells affected by floods in the past. “People have been doing quite well, and we have strong leaders in Soldiers Grove, Gays Mills and Steuben,” said Wall. “We are a resilient community.”
Even though flood waters have receded, Wall said it is important to not have children playing in any standing water that remains because the water might be contaminated with chemicals the water picked up when it washed through an area or from septic tanks that have been compromised.
In addition to well contamination, Wall also said home and business owners need to be aware of mold and their physical and emotional well-being.
State health officials are urging Wisconsin residents who live in flooded areas to be cautious even after the water has receded.
“Residents should avoid entering flood waters because they may contain raw sewage if septic tanks have gotten overwhelmed by high rain levels,” said Karen McKeown, State Health Officer. “Once clean-up begins, residents need to be aware of risks such as mold, contaminated food and water, not to mention the stress that can come during a major event, such as flooding.”
Before entering a home or business that has been flooded, people should make sure the building is structurally safe and that the electric service has been inspected and is safe to use. Gas appliances should also be inspected and approved for use.
Within a few days after the flood waters recede, people may see or smell mold, but sometimes problems take longer to show up. If anyone has had water damage from a flood in their home or business, the best advice is to talk to a professional cleaning service with flood clean-up experience. They can tell people how serious the mold problem is and the safest way to get rid of it.
Well water should be sampled for coliform bacteria, whose presence indicates contamination and requires disinfection of the well and water system.
Health officials also recommend that residents throw out any food that has been touched by flood water, even if it was stored in waterproof containers. Refrigerated and frozen foods should also be inspected, especially if there was a power outage. Check the smell and appearance of all meats, seafood, milk, produce and leftovers, and “when in doubt, throw it out.”
Floods can be traumatic and it’s common to show signs of stress during and afterward. It is important for people to monitor their physical and emotional health and seek help if necessary. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has a toll-free, confidential crisis support service at 1-800-985-5990, or text TalkWithUs to 66746 to connect with a trained counselor.
In addition to well testing kits, Crawford County Public Health has flood tool kits, flood recovery guidance and health information and clean-up guidance for mold. The phone number for public health is (608) 326-0229.
