Food Establishment Regulations: The health department permits those facilities that prepare food for public consumption including, but not limited to, restaurants, school cafeterias, licensed day-care providers, hospital cafeterias, and temporary food service units at festivals. Training classes are offered to food services managers and others in order to provide information on new regulations and food safety issues.
Sewage Regulation: Environmental Health Specialists conduct soil studies and site evaluations on property to determine suitability for a onsite wastewater disposal. If the property is unable to accommodate a conventional septic tank and drain field, we determine if an alternative sewage disposal system may be installed. Ensuring that sewage is properly treated and disposed of protects groundwater resources and protects the public from many diseases that untreated sewage may carry.
Migrant Labor Camps: Are inspected to ensure a potable water supply and proper sewage and garbage disposal, and adequate housing.
Water: We permit all private drinking water wells (except monitoring wells), and agricultural wells installed in the District. As part of the permitting process, we locate the well to provided proper set backs from potential contaminant sources (drain fields, barns, graveyards, etc.) and determine the minimum construction requirements that may be used.
Rabies Prevention: Rabies is a virus, which attacks the brain of humans and warm-blooded animals. It is always fatal if not stopped before the virus infects the brain. If a dog or cat bites a human or exposes a human and is alive, we enforce a ten-day quarantine period, during which the animal's health is monitored. If the dog or cat is dead, brain tissue from the animal is tested for the presence of rabies virus. If an animal other than a dog, cat or ferret is involved, the incubation and viral shedding periods are unknown, so the animal must be euthanized and the brain tested for the virus. If the animal cannot be found or captured, we advise potentially exposed persons to seek the advice of their physician and consult with the physician and consult with the Health Director about beginning post-exposure treatment to prevent rabies. In any case, if a human sustains an exposure to an animal the health department should be notified as soon as possible.
Lead Exposure: The health department maintains a certified lead inspector/risk assessors on staff to conduct an environmental investigation when indicated as a part of a workup of a child with an elevated blood lead level. The investigation consists of sampling paint, soil, water and dust from the environment in which the child lives, and interviewing families regarding behavior and activities to determine the most likely source(s) of exposure.
Outbreak Investigations: We investigate illnesses and conditions, which are reported to the health department. By law, several infectious communicable diseases and certain other conditions are to be reported by local physicians, hospitals, and labs. A team of Environmental Health Specialists, Public Health Nurses, Epidemiologists, and a Physician Health Director investigates outbreaks. When outbreaks are believed to be food or water borne, identification and testing of the potential sources in food and water are conducted in order to locate and eliminate the cause of the illness. Education of the public is provided to minimize risk of future outbreaks.
For more information:
In Wise County & the City of Norton, please call 276-328-8000.
In Scott County, please call 276-386-1312
In Lee County, please call 276-346-2011