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Health
department environmental health (EH) staff provide education, regulation
and licensing, and enforcement activities aimed at reducing or eliminating environmental
health hazards.
Inspections/Licensing
EH staff inspect and license restaurants, taverns, hotels/motels, public pools, campgrounds, and tattoo & body piercing establishments. Please see our brochures, fact sheets and applications regarding opening an establishment.
Temporary Events
Temporary events held within the villages of Caledonia, Mt. Pleasant, North Bay, Sturtevant, Town of Waterford and Union Grove which serve food, or temporarily provide tattoo/pierce or campsites may require a temporary event license.
Environmental Complaints
EH staff respond to complaints of potential human health hazards. If you wish to
file a complaint please call the health department. The complainant MUST leave a
name and number in the event we would need to contact you. If there is not a phone
number, staff cannot complete the investigation.
Flooding Clean up/Mold
Flood waters can lead to many public health concerns. Flood waters may contain potentially
dangerous materials, such as fecal material from overflowing sewage systems, agricultural
runoff, and chemicals from industrial areas. For more detailed information on flood
clean up, go to:
 Repairing your
Flooded Home
 http://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/flood/index.htm
http://emergency.cdc.gov/disasters/floods/
Household Hazardous Waste
Household Hazardous Waste disposal gives residents a way to safely dispose of hazardous
household materials like cleaning products and oil-based paint. Caledonia, Mt. Pleasant,
Sturtevant and North Bay participate in the City of Racine Household Hazardous Waste
Program. The site, located at 6200 21st St., is open every 3rd Saturday of the month
(April – October only) from 8:00am to 1:00pm.
Medication Collection
There is growing concern that medications flushed down the drain or thrown in the
trash can accumulate in the water supply and landfills, endangering the aquatic
environment and wildlife. Wastewater treatment plants are not designed to remove
all medications from wastewater.
Medication collections are seen as an important tool in preventing drug abuse as
a growing number of youth and adults turn to medicine cabinets in homes as sources
of prescription pills.
The Central Racine County Health Department participates in the countywide Medication
Collection Program. The site, located at 6200 21st St., is open twice a year (April
& October only) from 8:00am to 1:00pm. Please see our Medication Collection Brochure
for more information.
Residential
Medication Collection Brochure
Lead Hazard Investigation
Health Department staff certified as Lead Hazard Investigators provide home assessments to determine source(s) of lead contamination and discuss possible solutions for remediation. For more information on lead hazard investigations, go to:
Radon
Radon is a naturally occurring, odorless radioactive gas that causes lung cancer.
Between five and ten percent of the homes in Wisconsin have radon levels above the
US EPA guideline of 4 pCi/L for the year average on the main floor. Every region
of Wisconsin has some homes with elevated radon levels.
The only way to know the radon level in a house is to measure it. Central Racine
County Health Department sells Radon test kits for $5. For more information on Radon,
please see our brochure or the following websites:
 Radon Brochure
 http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/substances/toxsubstance.asp?toxid=71
Waste Removal:
Waste removal is not a program of the health department. For waste removal information
please go to your villages website:
Well Water Testing
Most private wells provide a clean, safe supply of water; however, contaminants
can pollute private wells, and unfortunately you cannot see, smell or taste most
of them. Consequently, private well owners should test the water on a regular basis.
The decision on what to test water for should be based on the types of land uses
near your well.
Central Racine County Health Department has well water test kits available free
of charge. The Wisconsin State Lab of Hygiene (WSLH) does charge a fee for each
water test. See the brochure and link below for more information on well water testing.
Well Water Testing Brochure
www.slh.wisc.edu/ehd/testfee.dot
DNR Well Water Testing
The Health Department performs water sampling for bacteria and nitrates and conducts sanitary surveys at public, transient, non-community water systems such as motels, restaurants, parks, taverns, and gas stations.
West Nile
West Nile virus, a mosquito-borne infection that can cause serious illness, was
found in Wisconsin beginning in 2001. It was first identified in the United States
in 1999.
Most people infected with West Nile virus do not become ill. Symptoms can occur
5 to 15 days after exposure. About 20% of people infected with the virus have mild
to moderate symptoms such as: a fever with headache, body ache, a skin rash, and
swollen lymph nodes. Less than 1% or about 1 out of 150 people become severely ill
with symptoms that can include: severe headache, high fever, neck stiffness, disorientation,
tremors, coma or paralysis. Approximately 10% of the cases of severe illness are
fatal. People over 50 years of age are at increased risk of severe disease.
There is no specific treatment for West Nile virus other than to treat symptoms
and offer supportive care. If you think you have West Nile virus infection, contact
your physician. See the brochure and links below for more information on West Nile
virus.
West Nile Virus Brochure
http://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/communicable/ArboviralDiseases/WestNileVirus/Index.htm
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/westnile
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