Health Dept. Offering Molybdenum Water Test Kits

On the heels of news that high levels of molybdenum were found in private wells in Caledonia, the Central Racine County Health Department is offering free molybdenum water test kits as long as supplies last.

The health department is open 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday at 10005 Northwestern Ave, US Bank Building, 2nd Floor, in Franksville.

CRCHD has a small number of free kits available for residents who want to use the State Lab of Hygiene, but there is a $13 charge for the test itself. Keith Hendricks, program manager, encourages residents to use the state Department of Natural Resources website for more information because health department staff are not groundwater experts.

"We're more than happy to help direct residents to the experts who can help answer what molybdenum is, how to test for it and what to do if it's found," he said. "The DNR is really on top of this and has the experts who can really provide the information residents need."

The DNR has advised private well owners in southeastern Wisconsin to have their water tested for molybdenum. This does not apply to residents on the village's municipal water supply.

Molybdenum is a naturally occurring element in the earth's crust and in water in low levels, but it's also a byproduct of coal combustion and industrial waste. High levels of molybdenum may carry some risk to humans including digestive problems and gout, according to a DNR report.

High levels of molybdenum were found in homes in Caledonia and Oak Creek near We Energies' Oak Creek power plant several years ago. But recent tests found high levels of the element in 44 out of 153 private wells tested in Franklin, Muskego, Norway and Raymond.