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A safe and healthy environment is one form of preventive medicine you cannot get from your doctor or drugstore. Yet it is crucial to your family and community's well being. Environmental Health is an essential part of the Duval County Health Department. These services, listed below, are aimed at preventing or reducing potential health risks in your daily surroundings:
- Beaches Water Quality
- Biomedical Waste Program
- Body Piercing
- Food Hygiene
- Group Care
- Mobile Homes and Recreational Vehicle Parks
- Onsite Sewage Program
- Rabies Control Program
- Sanitary Nuisance/Premises Complaints Program
- Swimming Pools and Bathing Places
- Tanning Facilities
- Toxicology Program
- Water Services
Beaches water Sampling and Public Notification Program monitors the quality of Duval county beaches by posting the level of bacteria found in beach water samples. Bacteria can be an indicator of pollution that may cause illness to swimmers. We collect and analyze the ocean waters along beaches to check for bacteria levels.
For information, call (904) 253-1280.
The Biomedical Waste Program protects health care workers, environmental service staff, waste haulers, and the general public from risks associated with potentially infectious biomedical wastes. Biomedical Waste generators include hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, laboratories, funeral homes, dentists, veterinarians, and physicians. The Duval County Health Department investigates complaints concerning biomedical waste. Annual permits are required for facilities that generate more than 25 pounds of biomedical waste within a 30-day period.
For information, call (904) 253-1280.
The Body Piercing Program ensures minimum sanitary and safety standards related to the design and operation of temporary as well as stationary body piercing salons. The Duval County Health Department investigates complaints concerning body piercing and issues licenses to these individuals and establishments.
For information, call (904) 253-1280.
The food hygiene program ensures food establishments operate in a safe and sanitary manner in compliance with all applicable State of Florida regulations. Food service facilities such as schools, day care centers, bars, movie theaters, assisted living facilities, hospitals and nursing homes are inspected on a regular basis to assist in the prevention of food-borne illness outbreaks in those facilities.
For information, call (904) 253-1280 or visit the Florida Department of Health Web site at http://www.doh.state.fl.us and select food hygiene from the A-Z topic list.
Children, the elderly and ill persons living at group care facilities comprise a portion of the population that is more susceptible to disease. Your environmental health staff ensures high standards related to the construction, operation and maintenance of group care facilities. Facilities such as child care centers, family day care homes, assisted living facilities, residential facilities, and foster homes are inspected regularly to reduce the risk of disease transmission to residents, workers and visitors.
For information, call (904) 253-1280 or visit the Florida Department of Health Web site at http://www.doh.state.fl.us and select group care from the A-Z topic list.
Mobile Homes and Recreational Vehicle Parks
The Mobile Home and Recreational Vehicle Parks Program ensures mobile home parks and recreational vehicle parks operate in a safe and sanitary manner so the risk of illness and injury in this residential environment is minimized. A primary focus is ensuring the sources of drinking water are safe, proper sewage disposal, and that any swimming pool in a park is clean and safe. We also make sure that the premises of a park is free from improperly stored garbage and harmful insects and rodents. These facilities are permitted and inspected on a regular basis.
For information, call (904) 253-1280 or visit http://www.doh.state.fl.us
Onsite Sewage treatment and disposal systems (Septic Tanks)
are permitted and inspected by Environmental Health Staff. To ensure
systems are installed and repaired in a manner that reduces the chances of
pollution of ground and surface water supplies, all persons who want to
perform an installation or repair must first get approval and
specifications from the health department. Proper installation and repairs
protect ground and surface waters, thereby reducing the potential for
spread of infectious diseases.
For information, call (904) 253-1280 or visit http://www.doh.state.fl.us and select Onsite Sewage from the A-Z topic list.
All animal bites within Duval County should be reported to the rabies control program for investigation and follow-up. By investigating all animal bites the fatal disease of rabies is not transmitted to humans.
To report animal bites call (904) 253-1280.
Sanitary Nuisance/
Premises Complaints Program
The sanitary nuisance/premises complaint program ensures the investigation and abatement of various types of sanitary nuisances reported to the Duval County Health Department by citizens and other government agencies. This section investigates sanitary nuisances specifically related to improperly stored and collected garbage as well as faulty plumbing resulting in sewage being improperly collected and disposed.
For
information or to report unsanitary conditions,
call (904) 253-1280.
Swimming Pools
and Bathing Places
Our Swimming Pools and Bathing Places program ensures swimming pools and bathing places, regulated by the Florida Department of Health, are operated in a safe and sanitary manner so the risk of disease and injury is minimized. Swimming pools, water parks, and bathing places, which are open to the public, are permitted and inspected.
For information about the program, call (904) 253-1280. Or visit the Florida Department of Health Web Site at http://www.doh.state.fl.us
The tanning facilities program ensures that the risk of overexposure to ultraviolet light from tanning beds and booths is reduced as well as tanning bed surfaces and protective eyewear is sanitized between uses. The Duval County Health Department must permit all tanning facilities open to the public.
For information, call (904) 253-1280.
Environmental
Toxicology Program
In 1999, the Duval County Health Department initiated an Environmental Toxicology Program that has been instrumental in identifying potential hazardous substances from waste sites and other sources of pollution present in the environment. The Environmental Toxicology Program's primary goal is to prevent exposure and adverse human and environmental health effects that may diminish the quality of life of our citizens. For information, call (904) 253-1280.
Florida's groundwater supply and surface waters are vulnerable to a wide array of contaminants, both natural and man-made. The Environmental Health/Engineering is committed to safeguarding Duval County's water supply. Through routine inspections, environmental health staff ensures that drinking water supplies, both public and private, are bacteriologically, chemically and radiologically safe, as well as physically acceptable for human use and consumption. They also ensure that water quality monitoring is conducted. If contaminants of a private water system is suspected, owners may have water samples collected by environmental health staff and analyzed by a laboratory approved by the Florida Department of Health.
Limited
Use Public Water Systems (Serving up to 24 people)
The Environmental Engineering Section permits, inspects,
monitors, and regulates Limited Use Public Water Systems in Duval
County. For more information about these systems, visit http://www.doh.state.fl.us.
Public
Swimming Pool Construction
The Environmental Engineering Section approves and
inspects the construction and modification of public swimming pools. For
more public swimming pool information click on http://www.doh.state.fl.us
Ground
Water Program
We conduct potable well water quality investigations
and samplings near known and potential ground water contamination sources
such as, but not limited to: gasoline stations, dry-cleaning facilities,
landfills, and industrial sites. We also monitor the quality of potable
well water in areas affected by the ground water contamination and respond
to residents' concerns about safety of their potable well water by
providing site investigations and well water sampling. When the well water
is determined to be unsafe for human consumption we initiate a provision
of an alternative safe drinking water.
Duval County Health Department
Main Office
515 W. 6th Street
Jacksonville, FL 32206
253-1000
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