Description | General Eligibility | How to Apply
Services | Cost | Additional Help | Contact | Language Services

Description

The Dane County Division of Public Health - Environmental Health section provides a variety of programs, services and information aimed at reducing or eliminating the level of risk posed by environmental health hazards to human health through education, regulation and enforcement activities.

General Eligibility

Environmental Health Services are available only to those Dane County residents living outside of the City of Madison. There may be fees associated with some programs and services.

How to Apply

Any application requirements are listed under the specific service.

Services

Groundwater Protection - This program includes private sewage regulation, private and transient non-community well regulation and water sampling. Environmental Health staff conduct onsite evaluations of proposed sewage system sites and soils. Plans for the sewage system must be reviewed and approved by a county sanitarian prior to the issuance of a sanitary permit. Once a system is in place, a final inspection is conducted. Fees are charged. The Division administers the Wisconsin Fund grant program, which partial reimbursement to eligible residents to assist with replacement or repair of a failing septic system.

Sanitarians review well siting permit applications, issue permits, inspect wells after construction and oversee the abandonment of unsafe, unused, or non-complying wells. The Division administers a county reimbursement program for abandoning these categories of wells.

Drinking and well water may be sampled upon request for laboratory analysis. Fees are charged for non-health related sampling.

Food Protection - This program provides inspection, education, and regulation services for restaurant and retail food facilities. Sanitarians, in cooperation with Public Health Nurses, investigate complaints of foodborne illnesses and provide health education.

Environmental Sanitation Program - Public swimming pools, campgrounds, recreational-educational camps and mobile home parks are inspected to insure compliance with state and county codes.

Radon Information Center - Environmental Health staff provide radon information and education for Columbia, Dane, and Jefferson counties. Radon is a natural, odorless, radioactive gas that is the second leading cause of lung cancer, causing an estimated 14,000 cancer deaths per year. Radon is found in houses in all neighborhoods of Dane County. The only way to know the radon level in a house is to measure it. Every home should be tested. Tests are inexpensive and easy to do. Test kits are available in local hardware stores for purchase by homeowners.

Lead Program - The Environmental Health Specialist provides evaluation of daycare centers and homes with children who have elevated blood lead levels. Consultation for renovation and remodeling as well as community education presentations are provided through this program. Please click on lead poisoning for more information.

Nuisance Complaints - Environmental Health investigates a wide range of health-related complaints including rodent and insect problems, improper storage and disposal of trash, and malfunctioning septic systems.

Cost

Fees apply for permits and licenses granted by the Dane County Division of Public Health's Environmental Section in the following areas:

• Sanitary and well siting permits
• Restaurant and retail food establishments
• Public swimming pools and beaches
• Hotel, motels, bed and breakfasts
• Tattoo and body piercing establishments
• Campgrounds
• Mobile home parks

Additional Help

"Well Dane" Public Health Newsletters

Contact

For more information on environmental health services call (608) 242-6515.

Language Services

For more information on Language Services, please visit out Language Services page.