Outagamie County Public Health is a certified laboratory for coliform bacteria testing in drinking water. 

The cost for the test is $33. 

To have your well tested, call (920) 832-5100 to request a drinking water kit. 

Radon is a radioactive gas produced naturally by the decay of uranium present in rocks and soil. Radon is odorless, colorless, tasteless, and undetectable by the human senses. Radon enters homes through any open spaces, including basements, crawl spaces, cracks in basement walls and sump pumps. Once in the home, radon has less air to mix with, and levels begin to rise.

Health Effects

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that radon is responsible for up to 21,000 lung cancer deaths per year in the United States. About 2,900 of these deaths occur among people who have never smoked. Radon is considered to be the second leading cause of lung cancer, only behind tobacco smoke.

Testing for Radon

The only way to determine if a home has radon is to test for it. If you are interested in testing your home, stop in to our office to purchase a short-term radon test kit for $10. Residents outside of Outagamie County can purchase a radon test kit by contacting the Regional Radon Information Center (RIC) located at the Fond du Lac County Health Department (920-929-3085). 

To properly conduct a test, follow the instructions that come with the test kit. If conducting a short-term test, close your windows and outside doors at least 12 hours BEFORE beginning the test and keep closed as much as possible during the test. Place the test kits in the lowest lived-in level of the home (for example, the basement if it is frequently used, otherwise the first floor), but NOT in your kitchen or bathroom. The laboratory will consider the test kit invalid if left out for less than 2 days (48 hours) or more than 4 days (96 hours).

Obtaining the Test Results

For test kits obtained through our office, you can access your radon test results online by clicking HERE.

Please note that DrHomeAir is now AlphaEnergy Laboratories.

What do the Results Mean?

Radon concentration is measured in pico-Curies of Radiation per Liter of air (pCi/L). The EPA has set the radon standard at 4.0 pCi/L.  Below 4.0 pCi/L, no action is required. When the radon level is above 4.0 pCi/L, it is encouraged to contact Outagamie County Public Health for further consult and follow-up actions.

To learn more about Radon in Wisconsin, click on the Wisconsin Department of Health Services website.

Other Resources:

www.epa.gov/radon

www.lowradon.org