Free Healthy Home Assessment
A free healthy home assessment is available to you. During the assessment, we’ll look at the Seven Principles of Healthy Homes and develop a safe and healthy living environment. Households that participate in an assessment may be eligible to receive supplies and/or resources.
For further information call your local public health department:
Seven Principles of Healthy Homes
- Dry – damp houses provide a nurturing environment for mites, roaches, rodents and molds, all of which are associated with asthma.
- Clean – clean homes help reduce pest infestations and exposure to contaminants.
- Pest Free – recent studies show a causal relationship between exposure to mice and cockroaches and asthma episodes in children; yet inappropriate treatment for pest infestations can exacerbate health problems, since pesticide residues in homes pose risks for neurological damage and cancer.
- Safe – the majority of injuries among children occur in the home. Falls are the most frequent cause of residential injuries to children, followed by injuries from objects in the home, burns and poisonings.
- Contaminant Free – chemical exposures include lead, radon, pesticides, volatile organic compounds, and environmental tobacco smoke. Exposures to asbestos particles, radon gas, carbon monoxide, and second-hand tobacco smoke are far higher indoors than outside.
- Ventilated – studies show that increasing the fresh air supply in a home improves respiratory health.
- Maintained – poorly maintained homes are at risk for moisture and pest problems. Deteriorated lead-based paint in older housing is the primary cause of lead poisoning, which affects 240,000 children in the U.S.
Radon
What is radon?
Radon is a naturally occurring gas that enters buildings from surrounding soil. It is colorless, odorless, tasteless and radioactive. Radon is known to cause cancer in humans and is the second leading cause of lung cancer.
Minnesota sits on an area with high levels of radon so the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Minnesota Department of Health recommend that every home be tested for radon.
Where can I get more information on radon and radon testing?
To request a short-term test kit, contact your county public health office.
Meeker County Public Health
320-693-5380
McLeod County Public Health
320-864-3185
Sibley County Public Health
507-237-4035
What can I do if my home has high levels of radon?
If your results are high, there are steps you can take to lower your radon levels. A certified Mitigation Contractor can install a radon mitigation system. If you are considering building a new home, the home can be build with radon-resistant construction to prevent high levels of radon from entering the home.
To learn more about radon and radon testing, visit the following website for more information:
Well Water Testing
Over a million Minnesotans rely on a private well to supply their water.
When a well is properly located, constructed, and maintained it can provide a reliable safe source for drinking, food preparation, irrigation, or for any purpose be it for domestic, agricultural, or commercial uses.
Why Test?
Private water supplies are not tested or regulated by the public health department, so it’s your responsibility to make sure your family’s water is safe. You can’t always see, taste, or smell contaminants that may be a health risk. The only way to be sure that your drinking water is safe to have it tested at a laboratory.
Where To Get A Test
Carefully follow instructions as you take the water sample and mail it or deliver it to the lab. Water must be analyzed within 24 hours after it is collected to provide reliable results.
In McLeod County, test kits can be picked up at:
- McLeod County Public Health
- McLeod County Environmental Services
- McLeod County Extension Office
Meeker County test kits can be picked up at:
- Meeker County Public Health Office
Sibley County test kits can be picked up at:
- Sibley County Health and Human Services office.
For more information and resources, check out Minnesota Department of Health’s website:
