Two Kewaunee County schools received letters from the Kewaunee County Public Health Department warning that a neighboring property owner’s well within a half-mile of their schools had tested positive for salmonella and rotavirus, Cynthia Kinnard, county public health nurse said Thursday.

Luxemburg-Casco Middle School and Holy Trinity School both in Casco received letters from the department suggesting that they test their wells for presence of the contaminants, which are typically associated with animal or human feces.

Kinnard said that both school’s wells would be tested on Monday for the presence of salmonella and rotavirus and the results would be available within a week.   She said that no further precautions were needed at the schools.

In a letter to parents of Luxemburg-Casco Middle School students, Michael Snowberry, principal, said “the middle school is required to test our well four times per year and all tests, to date, have been negative for contaminants.”

The Department of Natural Resources announced Monday that 11 private wells in Kewaunee County tested positive for salmonella and or rotavirus during a DNR-funded study.   The water samples were taken on April 18. The wells were among 30 being tested by the DNR that had previously been identified as contaminated by total coliform or high nitrates.

The contaminated wells were located throughout the county.  The county health department is required to send out letters to all property owners with private wells within a half-mile radius of a well that is found to be contaminated with salmonella or rotavirus, Kinnard said.  The DNR is offering free test kits to any property owner who receives a letter, Kinnard said.

The exact location of the contaminated wells cannot be disclosed under the terms of the well study, Kinnard said.

No illnesses have been reported in connection with the findings, according to Kinnard.

.

This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press Gazette: Two schools receive letters warning of well contamination