Environmental

Responsibilities
The Environmental Health Division is responsible for enforcing State and County public health laws and ordinances regarding:
  • Agricultural pollution
  • Air, land and stream pollution
  • Drinking water contamination
  • Food contamination
  • Improper sewage disposal
  • Industrial pollution
  • Insect and rodent infestations
  • Mosquito control
  • Rabies threats
  • Tattoo and body piercing facilities (including permits and inspections)
  • Unfit and contaminated buildings and homes
  • Unsanitary refuse disposal
They are also responsible for investigating a wide variety of health-related complaints from the public. The Environmental Health Division is also in charge of the Department’s Food Section, which is responsible for the County’s retail food establishment licensing and inspection program.
  1. Sewage Systems
  2. Investigations
  3. Mosquitoes
  4. Sampling
On-site Sewage Systems
The Environmental Health Division is responsible for administering Adams County’s On-site Sewage Systems Program in compliance with Indiana State Department of Health (ISDH) Rules and the County Ordinance. We are in charge of overseeing soil testing/ site evaluations and reviewing plans, issuing permits and providing inspections for residential and commercial on-site sewage systems.
 
If you intend to build a new home, remodel an existing home, or repair a failing septic system; in order to comply with State Laws and the County Ordinance, you are required to contact our Department to begin the process. Our staff will be happy to assist you in the process, which 1st includes meeting at our office to give you general information and answer questions you may have. We will then help you schedule a soil test/site evaluation with a qualified Soil Scientist, and refer you to excavation contractors certified through our Department’s testing and Certification Program. You must obtain a permit for an on-site sewage system before obtaining a building permit from the Adams County Plan Commission-Building Department.
 
We are also in charge of investigating and ordering the abatement of any illegal discharges of sewage to the waterways and rivers in our county. The most serious documented problems involve contamination of surface waters resulting in exposed disease-causing pathogens and the prolific breeding of West Nile Virus-transmitting mosquitoes.