HEALTH Articles

There is a lot of work that goes on behind the scenes in our communities to help protect our health. For example, water operators work to provide safe, clean water through our taps for drinking and washing. Wastewater operators handle the “re-cleaning” of that water before it goes back into the environment. Homes and businesses not connected to a sewer system are able to safely treat wastewater using septic systems on their property.

Protection of our water, food, and air are key principles of environmental health, which is one component of public health. The Southwest Utah Public Health Department safeguards our community by inspecting and per­mitting septic systems, public pools, tanning facilities, schools, food estab­lishments, and body art studios.

Besides our established programs, we often get calls and inquiries about en­vironmental issues that are outside our authority or responsibility. The follow­ing are some of the most common ex­amples of these questions and possible agencies that might be able to help.

Housing & private property consultations and com­plaints

While renters and landlords should ideally work together to resolve prob­lems, a renter sometimes feels the landlord is not correcting problems that may affect health and safety.

Health departments are typically un­able to become involved in private property issues, but both the renter and landlord have rights and responsibili­ties that can be found in the Utah Fit Premises Act. Some cities and coun­ties also have ordinances in regards to housing and may have code enforce­ment officers that can look into com­plaints.

What about household mold growth and concerns that it might affect the health of the occupants? The Cen­ters for Disease Control and Preven­tion (CDC) website is a good source for finding out how to prevent and clean mold in your home (cdc.gov/ mold).

We are sometimes asked about possi­ble methamphetamine contamination inside a dwelling where production or use is suspected. For testing and cleanup, contact a Certified Decon­tamination Specialist Contractor. A list of contractors is available through the Utah Department of Environmen­tal Quality (deq.utah.gov, search ‘CERCLA’).

Complaints about solid or animal waste nuisances on neighboring prop­erties should be directed to city or county waste and code enforcement officers.

Environment consultations & com­plaints

Concerns about drinking water can often be addressed by contacting the Public Water System that provides your water. If a complaint is not being resolved at that level, the Drinking Wa­ter Division of the Utah Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) can be contacted (deq.utah.gov/divi­sion-drinking-water).

Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) have been discovered in some lakes and riv­ers that we enjoy using for recreation. The DEQ’s Water Quality Division re­ceives calls and monitors some of the bodies of water in our area for HABs. Recreational water conditions can be checked at deq.utah.gov/wa­ter-quality/recreational.

For immediate threats to life or prop­erty, call 911. For environmental con­cerns like hazardous waste spills or smoking vehicles, report incidents at deq.utah.gov (click ‘Report an In­cident’).

This article originally appeared in the Spring 2025 issue of HEALTH Magazine.