I Used to Live Near 29th and Grove, Can I Still Get Free Health Testing?

You moved away. Maybe it was ten years ago. Maybe it was thirty. You built a life somewhere else, and northeast Wichita became the place you grew up, the neighborhood where your parents still live, the part of town you drive through sometimes when you visit.

Now you’re hearing about groundwater contamination. About chemicals in the soil beneath those streets. About free health testing. And you’re wondering whether any of it still applies to you, or whether it’s only for people who live there now.

The answer is yes. It still applies to you. The testing is free, it is available to former residents specifically, and there is a documented scientific reason why past exposure, even decades ago, is exactly what this program was designed to address.

Why Past Exposure Is the Whole Point

Here is the part that surprises most people when they first hear it.

The primary chemical found in the groundwater beneath northeast Wichita is trichloroethylene, commonly called TCE. It is a known human carcinogen, classified as such by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, EPA, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The health effects it is most strongly associated with, including kidney cancer, liver cancer, and non-Hodgkin lymphoma, are not the kind of conditions that show up the week after exposure. They develop slowly, quietly, and over a long span of time.

The documented latency period between TCE exposure and the development of related cancers ranges from 18 to 34 years.

If you lived near the 29th and Grove area at any point from the late 1970s through the 2000s and moved on with your life, you may be sitting in the middle of that window right now. Not because something is necessarily wrong, but because this is precisely how TCE-related health risks work, and precisely why free testing exists for former residents today.

The Clearway Testing initiative was not built only for current residents. It was built for the entire community of people whose lives intersected with this part of northeast Wichita, whenever that intersection occurred.

What the Contamination Zone Actually Covered

Understanding the geography matters, because many former residents assume they have to have lived on 29th Street or Grove Street directly.

That is not the case.

TCE contamination from the Union Pacific railyard spread through the groundwater in a plume that extends 2.9 miles south of the original source, running from the rail yard near K-96 highway and I-135 south through residential and commercial neighborhoods all the way to Murdock Avenue. The contamination zone includes much of the area between I-135 on the west and Grove Street on the east, spanning ZIP codes 67214 and 67219 and covering neighborhoods including the Millair neighborhood and the Atwater area.

The contamination zone encompasses:

If you lived, rented, or owned property anywhere within this zone at any point in your life, your exposure history is real and your eligibility for free testing is clear.

Area	Details
Northern boundary	K-96 Highway / Union Pacific railyard
Western boundary	I-135 corridor
Eastern boundary	Grove Street
Southern boundary	Murdock Avenue
ZIP codes	67214 and 67219
Plume length	2.9 miles south of the railyard
Depth to groundwater	14 to 25 feet below ground surface

Beyond the TCE plume from the railyard, there are also six former dry cleaning sites within or near the study area that contributed a second chemical, perchloroethylene (PCE), to the local groundwater. PCE carries similar health risks to TCE and is also covered by Clearway Testing. If you lived near any of those former dry cleaner locations, that is an additional reason to consider getting tested.

How Exposure Happened Without Anyone Knowing

A question many former residents carry is whether they were actually exposed in a meaningful way, or whether exposure was limited to people who used well water or lived right on top of the contamination source.

The reality is that TCE and PCE move through groundwater and then behave in ways that affect people in the surrounding area through multiple pathways.

Vapor intrusion is one of the most significant. As TCE in contaminated groundwater slowly volatilizes, the vapors travel upward through soil and can enter homes and buildings through foundation cracks, around pipes, and through floor drains and sump systems. This means people living or working in buildings above and around the plume were exposed through the air inside their own homes, not just through drinking water. This process happens invisibly, without odor at typical exposure levels, and without any indication that anything unusual is occurring.

For anyone who lived in the contamination zone before modern testing and mitigation measures were in place, exposure through vapor intrusion was a real possibility regardless of whether they used city water or a private well. The city of Wichita’s public water supply was not affected by the contamination, but indoor air quality in homes and buildings above the plume is a different matter, and one that KDHE and Union Pacific have continued to evaluate through ongoing air testing programs.

You Do Not Need to Prove Where You Lived

One of the most important things to understand about Clearway Testing is that eligibility is not bureaucratic. You are not required to produce a lease agreement from 1987, locate a utility bill from a former address, or prove the exact years you lived in the area.

If you believe you may have been exposed to contaminated groundwater based on your residential history in northeast Wichita or anywhere else in Sedgwick County, you qualify for free testing.

Contact a Clearway Testing partner, describe your history in the area, and they will help you determine the right next steps.

Even If You Feel Fine, Consider Getting Tested

The absence of symptoms is not evidence of the absence of a problem. This is not a caution or a disclaimer. It is one of the documented clinical realities of the conditions associated with TCE and PCE exposure.

Conditions linked to long-term TCE exposure:

• Kidney cancer, particularly renal cell carcinoma, which often produces no symptoms in early stages
• Liver cancer and elevated liver enzymes, which can go undetected for years
• Non-Hodgkin lymphoma, which may present as fatigue or swollen lymph nodes that are easy to dismiss
• Immune system effects that can manifest in ways that are not obviously connected to chemical exposure
• Neurological effects including memory issues, headaches, and dizziness

A KDHE health study finalized in April 2023 found elevated rates of liver cancer in the 29th and Grove study area. Liver cancer, like kidney cancer, typically produces no symptoms until it has progressed to a later stage. Early detection through screening is among the most important factors in improving outcomes.

Getting tested now, even if you feel completely healthy, gives you a baseline picture of your organ function, identifies anything that may need attention while options for care are greatest, and gives you an answer to a question that may have been sitting in the back of your mind since you first heard about the contamination.

What Clearway Testing Includes for Former Residents

Free testing through Clearway partner clinics includes health screenings designed to evaluate organ function and check for potential effects associated with past chemical exposure. The tests do not look for TCE or PCE directly in your body. They assess how your kidneys, liver, and overall health are functioning today.

Free screening tests include:

• Complete blood count to assess blood health, immune function, and signs of anemia
• Comprehensive metabolic panel covering liver function, kidney function, blood glucose, and electrolytes
• Urinalysis to evaluate kidney health and detect early signs of organ stress
• Basic medical checkup (varies by location)
• Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) test for liver health screening at select locations
• Abdominal ultrasound for qualifying patients at select locations

After your appointment, a nurse or health professional will call you personally to explain your results and answer your questions. If anything in your results needs follow-up care, you will be connected to trusted local providers. Nothing is left unexplained.

Testing is free through December 31, 2026. No insurance is required.

You Can Get Tested Even If You No Longer Live in Wichita

If you grew up in northeast Wichita and now live in another city or another state, you can still receive testing through Clearway partner clinics when you are in the area. If a visit is not practical, speaking with a Clearway partner about your exposure history is still a worthwhile step. They can help you understand what to discuss with a healthcare provider wherever you currently live, and what types of screenings make sense given your history.

The Clearway Testing initiative cannot arrange testing in other states, but the information and guidance it provides about your exposure history and the associated health risks is something you can bring to any physician.

Where to Get Tested

Clearway Testing Partner Clinics:

• GraceMed Health Clinic | 316-866-2000 | gracemed.org
• HealthCore Clinic | 316-691-0249 | healthcoreclinic.org
• Hunter Health | 316-262-2415 | hunterhealth.org
• Love Clinic and Med Spa | 316-669-4770 | loveclinicmedspa.com
• Wichita Black Nurses Association | 316-249-1926 | wichitabna.org

If you are homebound and cannot travel to a clinic, contact the Wichita Black Nurses Association at 316-882-1778 to inquire about a free at-home visit.

Your History in That Neighborhood Matters

The years you spent in northeast Wichita are part of your health story.

The fact that you moved on does not close that chapter from a health standpoint. The 18 to 34-year latency window for TCE-related conditions means that people who lived in the area decades ago are in some cases at greater risk of a related health issue appearing now than they were when they actually lived there.

Clearway Testing exists to give every person with a connection to that community a clear path to information about their health. You do not need to still live there. You do not need to feel sick. You do not need to prove anything.

You just need to make the call.

Free testing is available through December 31, 2026.