Environmental
The Environmental Health section administers five programs. These are food, lodging, on-site sewage, private water and daycare. With food, all establishments in the county that prepare and/or serve food are inspected at least annually. Inspection frequency is based on a public health priority assessment. An Environmental Public Health Specialist conducts the inspections to ensure compliance with sanitation standards and practices with inspections considered crucial to the prevention of food borne illness disease outbreaks. Upon request education can be provided to food service personnel regarding safe, sanitary and healthful food handling procedures. With health related emergencies, damaged foods can be embargoed and ultimately destroyed if conditions warrant. When requested plans are reviewed for new food service establishments before construction occurs. Examples of food establishments are as follows:| · Bakery | · Convenience Stores |
| · Meat Markets | · Catering Business |
| · Grocery Stores | · School Cafeterias |
| · Taverns | · Senior Citizen Centers |
| · Ice Cream Shops | · Restaurants |
Daycare Centers, Homes and Head Starts along with commercial lodging (hotels and motels) are the only programs with a licensing requirement and all are inspected at least annually. Typically there is at least one reinspection following the initial inspection. As with food establishments’ inspections are more frequent if conditions warrant. Community, Non-Community and private drinking water supplies can be sampled for bacterial contamination as well as some inorganic compounds. Private wells can also be inspected for above-ground sanitation defects upon request from the owner. Water bottles for bacterial samples are available from the Health Department for individuals to collect their own samples from their own private wells. There is a $10.00 laboratory fee for these as well as the cost of mailing. All water sampling and technical assistance provided by the Environmental Public Health Specialist is free.
The on-site sewage program covers systems that fall under the construction permit requirements governing on-site sewage systems. Upon request all forms and other necessary information can be obtained from the health department.
Consultation and technical assistance with all programs are provided to citizens as well as the regulated establishments.
Citizen complaints covering food, lodging, sewage, daycare and other environmental concerns are also investigated. If the health department is not the administrative authority for the subject of a complaint, the person initiating the complaint and/or the information is passed to the government entity that has authority. For any additional information, call Jon Wofford at 1-573-748-5541 or 1-800-870-5541.
Other Environmental Items
Return to New Madrid County Health Department