University Housing was alerted in April by Dane County Health that a child residing in the complex had elevated lead levels in their blood. The health department reviewed the interior and exterior of the child’s residence, but could not determine the specific source of the lead.
Dane County Health gave University Housing six to eight weeks to act on suggestions they provided for handling the exposed lead paint found on the building. University Housing said they did not wait for the deadline and encapsulated areas where lead was exposed or chipping immediately.
The facility, a university apartment community located near Eagle Heights, houses UW-Madison students with families, mostly graduate students, in its 140 units.
“There has always been lead in our facilities,” University Housing director Jeff Novak said. “We are diligent in our efforts to always appropriately encapsulate and remediate as lead becomes an issue.”
University Housing promptly notified all residents of the child’s health issues. Parents were encouraged to have their children tested and a town hall meeting was held where officials answered questions from tenants. According to Novak, no other cases of high lead-containing blood levels have been brought to the university’s attention. He said only one or two tenants have responded to the alert, and they have been appreciative of the university’s transparency about the issue or have been seeking further clarification.
“All residents receive notification that they are living in facilities that do contain lead,” Novak said. “We offer full disclosure of the health risks associated with that, as regulated by the federal government that landlords must disclose this information.”
The first phase of University Houses renovation process focused predominantly on the interior of the facility. Heating, electrical work, laundry facilities, kitchens and bathrooms were updated in each unit. University Housing allotted $15 million for this project, and left the permanent removal of lead for different funds to be used in the second phase of the process. This next step will be taken in the very near future, according to Novak. He stated it has been planned for some time and is not a result of the child’s lead poisoning diagnosis.
“Resident safety was never prioritized-out, as we have continuously treated the lead throughout these years at University Houses,” Novak said. “The lead is contained and has been remediated to make a condition that is acceptable.”
