Environmental Health Services

Protecting the Environment

Each Health Department has Environmental Health professionals to assist the citizens in assuring food safety and clean drinking water. These professionals also work closely with the emergency planning team and the epidemiologist to investigate food and water borne illnesses, to answer questions about mosquito borne diseases, rabies, and other potential environmental hazards.  Please visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website for more information on recreational water-associated illnesses.

Food Services

The environmental health professionals evaluates and permits restaurants, schools, hotels, motels, campgrounds, migrant labor camps, adult and day care centers, and festival events for food safety. Food safety classes are offered throughout the year including: ServSafe® Certification classes and temporary vendor classes.  A proctored exam for ServSafe® Certification is also offered.  In-house training for groups of food service workers is also available upon request.  Education opportunities for churches and civic organizations who want to learn about food safety is available. Information on food safety topics is also available.

As of July 1, 2008, fees apply for the following services:

Program	Plan Review Fee	Annual Permit Fee
Hotels/Motels	$75	$100
Restaurants	$75	$100
Summer Camps	$75	$100
Campgrounds	$75	$100

TEMPORARY FOOD PERMIT FEES

• $20 application fee for each of the first five (5) event applications submitted during the calendar year
• After five (5) fees are paid (total $100) for the calendar year, there will be no additional fees for the remainder of the calendar year (an application for each additional event is still required, however)
• Vendors have the option of paying $100 at the time of submitting the first application for the year and no additional fees for the year will be required (an application for each event is still required, however)
• Any temporary vendor who has paid a $40 permit fee prior to July 1, 2008 will NOT have to pay any additional fees for calendar year 2008
• A temporary vendor who has not paid the $40 temporary event fee before July 1, 2008 and applies for a permit on or after July 1, 2008 must pay the new $20 fee per event (until reaching the $100 maximum)

PERMIT APPLICATIONS MUST BE SUBMITTED AT LEAST TEN (10) BUSINESS DAYS PRIOR TO THE EVENT

Additional forms

Food Establishment Application
Foodservice Plan Review
State permit applications for and regulations on food, summer camps, campgrounds, swimming pools, and migrant labor camps.
Temporary Food Establishment Application

Onsite Services

To protect the groundwater, proper treatment and disposal of sewage waste in rural areas is important. VDH has regulations in place to make sure septic systems are adequate. VDH requires a sewage disposal construction and/or well construction permit for installation, modification, or repair of a septic tank, dispersal field or well in order to make sure the system complies with the current regulations. We recommend hiring a private soil consultant (AOSE) to assist you in locating a drainfield area and designing the best possible system to meet your needs and protect the groundwater. Construction permits for well and sewage disposal systems are valid for 18 months. Additional information pertaining to the permitting process can be obtained at the VDH Division of Onsite Sewage and Water Services web site.

Sewage disposal and well construction permit applications are available with the building permit applications. As of July 1, 2008, fees apply for the following services:

APPLICATION TYPE	FEE
Non-AOSE – Construction Permits
Onsite Sewage Construction Permit	$355.00
Private Well Construction Permit	$205.00
Onsite Sewage and Well Construction Permits (total, combined)	$560.00
Well and Onsite Sewage Construction Permits, System > 1,000 gpd	$1,280.00
Non-AOSE – Certification Letter*
Onsite Sewage Certification Letter	$300.00
AOSE  - Construction Permits
Onsite Sewage Construction Permit	$200.00
Private Well Construction Permit	$205.00
Onsite Sewage and Well Construction Permits (total, combined)	$405.00
Well and Onsite Sewage Construction Permits, System >1,000 gpd	$1,280.00
AOSE – Certification Letter**
Onsite Sewage Certification Letter	$200.00
Repair Permit
Onsite Sewage Repair Permit: Non-AOSE or AOSE	No Fee

* Non-AOSE: If a Certification Letter is converted to Permit(s) within 18 months of the date the Certification Letter was issued, the only fee charged will be for the well permit (currently $205.00).  If the Certification Letter is converted to Permit(s) more than 18 months after issuance, both sewage and well fees will be charged (currently $560.00)

** A.O.S.E.: If a Certification Letter is converted to Permit(s) within 18 months of the date the Certification Letter was issued, the only fee charged will be for the well permit (currently $205.00).  If the Certification Letter is converted to Permit(s) more than 18 months after issuance, both sewage and well fees will be charged (currently $405.00)

Separate county fees may also apply, including:

Applications are available for septic system and well permits at your local Health Department or at the county building inspector's office or you can download the following:
Hanover Health Department complete septic application

Additional forms

Hanover Health Department Septic system repair history questionnaire and instructions
Hanover Health Department Request for Onsite information
Hanover Health Department Request for Food Program information

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