Lead-Safe Wisconsin: Home
The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) is committed to ending childhood lead poisoning in Wisconsin. DHS prevents childhood lead poisoning by educating families, catching cases early, and requiring lead-safe work practices.
Lead poisoning is a statewide problem
Lead is a toxic metal. Every year, thousands of Wisconsin children are poisoned because of exposures to lead in paint, dust, soil, old plumbing, and more. Lead poisoning causes lifelong harm. It can permanently affect a child's brain, leading to reduced IQ, learning difficulties, behavioral problems, and chronic health issues.
Lead poisoning is preventable
We know how to stop lead poisoning. In Wisconsin, most children are poisoned in the buildings where they live, learn, and play. To stop lead poisoning, we must:
- Respond quickly when a child is poisoned.
- Remove lead from a child's environment.
By the numbers
- Over 15,000 Wisconsin children under age 6 were diagnosed with lead poisoning over the past 5 years.
- Lead poisoning has been identified in all 72 counties.
- An estimated 350,000 Wisconsin homes contain lead-based paint hazards.
Find resources for your role
Everyone has a role to play to prevent childhood lead poisoning. Find more information here:
Parents and Caregivers
Discover how to protect yourself and your loved ones from lead exposure at home and in the community.
Renters, Landlords, and Homeowners
Homeowners, tenants, and landlords, ensure your living environment is free from lead hazards.
Contractors and Renovators
Follow Wisconsin's Lead-Safe Renovation Rule.
Health Professionals and Local Health Departments
Find trainings, outreach materials, job aids, and guidance for new staff.
Training Providers
Find out how to support the next generation of certified professionals.
Lead Investigators
Find resources for certified lead risk assessors, hazard investigators, inspectors, or sampling technicians.
More resources
Find outreach materials, request childhood lead testing data, and more.
Childhood lead poisoning: See the data
Looking for data? See the state's most recent numbers.
Outreach materials and support
Access outreach materials and publications about lead.
Request a subject matter expert to speak at your event.
Laws and regulations
There are several state and federal rules and regulations regarding lead and lead poisoning prevention.
Our programs
DHS's Lead & Asbestos Section runs several programs and initiatives dedicated to preventing lead poisoning:
- The Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program (CLPPP): This team supports and monitors Wisconsin's blood-lead testing efforts so children being exposed to lead can be identified and helped early.
- The Lead-Safe Homes Program (LSHP): This program helps income-eligible families make their homes lead-safe, covering the costs of repairs for owner-occupants and eligible landlords.
- The Certification and Field Compliance Units: These teams certify the professionals who do lead-safe renovation, abatement, and investigation work, and make sure certified work is done correctly.
- The Lead-in-Water Testing and Remediation Initiative: This initiative offers free lead-in-water testing and plumbing fixes for licensed child care centers.
Strategic approaches
Establish programs to help low- to moderate-income homeowners of older homes replace lead-painted windows, doors, and other high-risk building components.
Wisconsin families need support for removing dangerous lead paint hazards from their homes before a child is poisoned.
Increase resources so local health departments can provide lead investigations, case management, and education to families of poisoned children.
State funding was established over 30 years ago, in 1993, and has not been increased since.
Local health departments desperately need resources to support families to prevent future exposures and support the health of their poisoned child.
Align requirements for a health response at a blood lead level of 3.5 ug/dL. It is dangerous to wait until a child's blood lead level becomes more severe.
A University of Wisconsin-Madison cost-benefit analysis found that this would result in an estimated $2.5 billion in net benefits.
Support local authority to address unsafe rental housing before children are poisoned.
Support local governments in establishing sustainable programs based on local housing and public health needs.