Healthy Homes: Lead Hazard Control

Click here for program brochure!

Destructive:  Lead poisoning threatens the health and long term well being of children; coma, seizures or death can occur in the most severe cases.  Limited exposure can also have life-long impacts of aggressivity, hyperactivity, kidney disease, diabetes, and debilitating cognitive deficits.  Until the age of 4, children should be tested yearly to reduce risks. 

Preventable:  Residential homes containing lead-based paint remain the leading source of poisoning.   Actually one-quarter of existing WI homes were built prior to 1950 when lead-based paint was widely used!  Eliminating lead hazards in older homes would significantly reduce the lead poisoning threat in our communities. 

Costly:  Lead poisoning affects not only individuals and their families but our whole society!  Consider this: Increased expenses for medical care, special education, juvenile and adult correctional programs, case management and interventions, lifelong loss of earnings, higher healthcare premiums and increased expenses for Medicaid could all result with a single case of lead poisoning.  Each case that is prevented total a estimated savings of $40,000!  

Excerpts from:  Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services, Division of Public Health, Bureau of Environmental and Occupational Health.  The Legacy of Lead:  The Report on Childhood Lead Poisoning in Wisconsin 2008  PPH 45109 (5/08) 

Waukesha County UW-Extension has partnered with the City of Waukesha and other community agencies to  work with the Federal Office of Healthy Homes and Lead Hazard Control (OHHLHC) to eliminate lead-based paint hazards in Waukesha’s privately-owned and low-income housing.  We are seeking eligible residences that qualify for lead-testing and renovations to remove lead hazards. 

Please view our Program Brochure (English/Spanish) and an educational resource for parents ‘Look Out For Lead‘ (English/Spanish) for important information!

Wondering what can be done? 

Contact Amy at Waukesha County UW-Extension for more information at 262-970-4759.