About Us
The Hampton & Peninsula Health Districts' (HPHD) Office of Environmental Health (EH) works to protect and improve public health by preventing, minimizing and eliminating exposure to biological, chemical or physical hazards through a variety of educational and regulatory activities, including permitting and inspecting businesses and public facilities. Environmental Health Specialists (EHSs) also investigate reports of public health and safety risks throughout the district including residential, commercial and industrial areas. Applications to operate any facility permitted by HPHD or to apply to install a private sewage system or well will need to be submitted to the local EH office where the facility will be located.
The Hampton & Peninsula Health Districts' (HPHD) Office of Environmental Health (EH) works to protect and improve public health by preventing, minimizing and eliminating exposure to biological, chemical or physical hazards through a variety of educational and regulatory activities, including permitting and inspecting businesses and public facilities. Environmental Health Specialists (EHSs) also investigate reports of public health and safety risks throughout the district including residential, commercial and industrial areas. Applications to operate any facility permitted by HPHD or to apply to install a private sewage system or well will need to be submitted to the local EH office where the facility will be located. This could include the Peninsula Health Center office on J Clyde Ave., the Hampton Health Center office on Victoria Blvd., or Williamsburg-James City County office on Palmer Ln.
Inspections and Permits
Hampton & Peninsula Health Districts' Office of Environmental Health enforces State regulations based on federal guidelines by permitting and inspecting businesses and public facilities as well as the construction and installation of private sewage systems and wells.
Environmental Health Specialists (EHSs) are highly trained public health professionals with science-based college degrees. The EHS training program takes at least 18 months to complete. They conduct inspections to ensure the work conforms with state codes, review and approve plans, then issue permits to operate. These inspectors also investigate reports and complaints of public health and safety environmental hazards anywhere in the district in residential, commercial and industrial areas.
Depending on the scope of the project and permit type, inspections from the list below will be conducted by the Environmental Health Specialist (EHS).
- Restaurants and Catering Facilities
- Hotels and Bed and Breakfasts, Campgrounds, Summer Camps, and Migrant Labor Camps
- Private sewage systems and well installations
Most of the inspections will be conducted without scheduling or prior notice. However, there are certain projects that require the applicant to schedule inspections.
How to Contact Us:
Peninsula Health Center
836-A J. Clyde Morris Blvd.
Newport News, VA 23601
Phone: (757) 594-7340
Fax: (757) 594-7223
Email: peninsula.eh@vdh.virginia.gov
Hours: 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Monday – Friday
Hampton Health Center
3130 Victoria Blvd
Hampton, VA 23669
Phone: (757) 727-2570
Fax: 757-727-1227
Email: hhd-environmental@vdh.virginia.gov
Hours: 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Monday – Friday
Williamsburg-James City County
5300 Palmer Lane
Williamsburg, VA 23188
Phone: (757) 603 - 4277
Fax: (757) 253 – 4285
Email: peninsula.eh@vdh.virginia.gov
Hours: 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Monday – Friday
The Hampton & Peninsula Health Districts' Food Team EHS’s issue permits to owners and operators of food establishments in the District who prepare and serve food for immediate consumption. They review plans, issue permits to operate and conduct routine inspections of permitted facilities in the cities of Hampton, Newport News, Poquoson, and Williamsburg, and the counties of James City and York. The goal is to ensure food is safely prepared and served to the public throughout the health districts.
The EH Department reviews food establishment plans and conducts pre-opening inspections for newly permitted facilities; inspects and permits more than 1500 permitted food establishments, including restaurants, mobile units, public schools, day care centers, nursing homes, and hospital kitchens; inspects and permits temporary food establishments at events such as fairs and festivals; responds to citizen complaints and inquiries; investigates all foodborne illness outbreaks to determine the source and to minimize the spread of disease; provides food safety information; and holds food safety workshops.
- Applying for Foodservice Permits to Operate
- Food Safety Inspection Types
- View Actual Foodservice Facility Inspection Reports
- Resources for Foodservice Operators
- Milk Safety in the Commonwealth
- Virginia Department of Health Temporary Food Establishment Guidelines
- Food Safety at Home
- Food Safety Exempt Organizations
- Cottage Food and Acidified Vegetables Exemption
- Food Packaging Operations Permitted by the Virginia Department of Agriculture
- District Environmental Health Fee Schedule
The Hampton & Peninsula Health District staff issues, permits, conducts inspections and investigates consumer complaint for general sanitation, pest infestations and health/safety hazards of hotels, bed and breakfast facilities, campgrounds and summer camps (overnight only). The permits for all of these facilities are known as "tourist establishments." You will need to apply to the EH Office in the locality where the establishment will be located be it in the cities of Hampton, Newport News, Poquoson, and Williamsburg, or the counties of James City and York.
- Hotels and Bed and Breakfasts
- Campgrounds
- Summer Camps
- Swimming Pools at Tourist Establishments
- Migrant Labor Camps
- Quick Access to Applications
- District Environmental Health Fee Schedule
Information forthcoming.
Beach Monitoring falls under our protection from waterborne diseases control. Bacteria levels in beach water are monitored at 45 public beaches in Virginia on the Chesapeake Bay and Atlantic Ocean during the swimming season (May-September). Water samples are collected weekly and analyzed by local laboratories for enterococci bacteria. If bacteria levels exceed Virginia’s Beach Action Value of 104 MPN/100 mL of water, a swimming advisory is issued (MPN=most probable number, a unit for bacteria measurement).
Why do some beaches in our area frequently exceed state’s water quality standards?
There are several potential reasons for higher-than-normal bacteria levels (specifically the enterococcus bacteria we test for).
Many factors can affect these levels on a daily basis, the most common are rain events that create runoff and wash contaminants off into the waterways, waterfowl that migrate and congregate near piers tend to defecate in the water. Wind, waves, and tides can also stir up contaminants that settle and attach to sand and dirt particles which would be captured in our water samples. High concentrations of boating activity will also contribute to the bacterial counts being high, particularly if any illegal wastewater tank dumping is occurring. Any stormwater pipes that feed directly into the waterways can also carry pollutants from the surrounding streets and paved areas, including debris and trash.
What do you do if beach water exceeds the state's water quality standards?
- We notify the locality in which the beach is located so they can share information about the beach advisory through their media channels.
- We notify the media via beach advisory so they can share information about the beach advisory through the news.
- We place signage on the beach notifying the public the beach is under advisory.
- We re-test the beach on the following day to read results before the end of the week.
- Once the beach water bacteria levels are at an acceptable threshold, we issue a beach advisory lift to the respective locality, media, and remove any signage from the beach.
Do you close the beach when it is under advisory?
No. The health department is not responsible for beach closures. Only the locality in which the beach is located has the ability to close a beach. We simply share information to the public about the advisory so they can make an informed decision on if they want to swim in it, or not. We do not recommend children, the elderly, and immune compromised individuals swim in beach water that is under advisory.
Are there other resources?
- FAQs-VDH-Swimming-Advisories.pdf
- VDH-Coastal-Monitoring-Brochure.pdf
- Beach Monitoring - Waterborne Hazards Control (virginia.gov)
- Swimming Advisories and Monitored Beaches Map - Waterborne Hazards Control (virginia.gov)
Rabies is a deadly, but preventable, disease caused by a virus that infects the central nervous system. The rabies virus (RABV) is only present in the saliva and nervous system tissue of infected animals, and is spread through direct contact with an infected animal’s saliva or central nervous system tissue, most often through bites and scratches from the infected animal. RABV can also spread through contact of the virus through the eyes, mouth, or nose.
To report a complaint, please contact us using the email or phone numbers listed below. If it is a foodborne illness complaint, please contact us AND submit a report to My Meal Detective.
My Meal Detective is an online reporting system that allows you to file a foodborne illness report when events surrounding your illness are fresh on your mind. When you think something you ate made you sick (and possibly others), fill out all of the questions completely to capture as much information as possible to send to your local health department. The health department will examine your report, investigate if needed, and capture real-time information about what is going on in your community.
Peninsula Health Center
836-A J. Clyde Morris Blvd.
Newport News, VA 23601
Phone: (757) 594-7340
Fax: (757) 594-7223
Email: peninsula.eh@vdh.virginia.gov
Hours: 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Monday – Friday
Hampton Health Center
3130 Victoria Blvd
Hampton, VA 23669
Phone: (757) 727-2570
Fax: 757-727-1227
Email: hhd-environmental@vdh.virginia.gov
Hours: 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Monday – Friday
Williamsburg-James City County
5300 Palmer Lane
Williamsburg, VA 23188
Phone: (757) 603 - 4277
Fax: (757) 253 – 4285
Email: peninsula.eh@vdh.virginia.gov
Hours: 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Monday – Friday
Environmental Pollution Response
- Hazardous Waste Spills
- Outdoor Air Quality
- Indoor Air Quality
- Insects that Carry Disease
- Other Pests
General Requests for Inspections:
To request an inspection for a facility permitted by the Virginia Department of Education (DOE), Department of Social Services (DSS), or Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (DBHDS) facility such as a Daycare or other Residential facility, please fill out the appropriate form and submit via email to the locality where the facility is located.
City of Hampton: hhd-environmental@vdh.virginia.gov
Cities of Newport News, Poquoson, and Williamsburg, and the Counties of James City and York: peninsula.eh@vdh.virginia.gov
Please submit all FOIA requests for Environmental Health records through the VDH FOIA system at vdh.nextrequest.com. This will ensure that your request is both documented and tracked through the system.
HPHD's Environmental Health Staff at Work
