Welcome to the Division of Environmental Health! Our mission is to safeguard life, promote human health, and protect the environment through the practice of modern environmental health science, the use of technology, rules, public education, and above all, dedication to the public trust

The Division of Environmental Health accomplishes this mission through education, inspections, and active enforcement of state mandated laws and rules.

 

The Food, Lodging, & Institutional Sanitation Program helps to ensure the public that establishments operating in Franklin County meet the minimum standards as required by the NC Department of Environment and Natural Resources. Inspections include the level of cleanliness, food handling practices, and proper food protection during preparation, storage, and transportation. After inspection, each establishment receives a grade card with a grade of A, B, or C, as well as a numerical score. Operators are required to display the grade card in a prominent location for the public to see. Environmental health specialists also work with owners and management in plan review before a permit is issued for a new establishment or the re-opening of an existing establishment.

Environmental health specialists routinely inspect the following establishments at the listed frequency.

• Restaurants, Food Stands, Mobile Food Units, Push Carts, Limited food establishments; (Inspected quarterly)
• Temporary Food Establishments; (Inspected and permitted for (15) fifteen days of operation per event, no further inspection.)
• Meat Markets; (Inspected quarterly)
• Hospitals, Nursing and Rest homes; (Inspected semi-annually)
• Local Confinement; (Inspected annually)
• Hotels, Motels, Bed & Breakfast homes and inns; (Inspected annually)
• Summer Camps, Primitive Camps; (Inspected annually)
• Migrant Camps; (Inspected annually)
• Swimming Pools; (Inspected annually)
• Tattoo Parlors; (Inspected annually)

Frequently Asked Questions

Additional Resources

• NC Food Lodging & Institutions General Statutes
• NC Food Lodging & Institutions Rules
• NC Environmental Health Administrative Rules
• National Restaurant Association
• Temperature Guide for Food Protection
• NC Restaurant and Lodging Association
• NCDA Food Safety

 

North Carolina General Statutes State that a person owning or controlling a residence, place of business, or place of public assembly shall provide an approved sanitary sewage system. As a result, the Commission for Health Services has compiled rules and regulations addressing the placement, design, installation, and maintenance of subsurface ground absorption sewage treatment and disposal systems.

The Division of Environmental Health enforces these state laws and rules in order to prevent the spread of communicable diseases. Failing septic systems also can pose significant public health hazards. The program also attempts to determine the cause of malfunctioning septic systems and issues permits for their repair.

For any applicable fees refer to fee schedule below.

Frequently Asked Questions

Additional Resources

• North Carolina Sewage Disposal Statutes
• North Carolina Sewage Rules
• NCDENR On-site Waste Water Section
• Maintenance of Septic Systems
• NCSU - Why Do Septic Systems Fail?
• NCSU - Septic System Owners Guide
• NCSU - Septic Systems and Their Maintenance
• NESC Septic Information

 

The private drinking water well construction and water sampling program ensures that drinking water supplies are properly located, constructed, protected, and sampled in order to avoid potential illness. All new wells must be permitted before construction begins. A safe well location, free of any potential pollutants or possible flooding, is selected. During construction the well is inspected as the grouting is poured. When the well is completed another inspection determines compliance of the well head. At this time the well is sampled for bacteriological quality and 17 inorganic parameters. Drinking water quality is also monitored by taking water samples from any existing wells at the owners request. As with new wells, samples are analyzed for indicator organisms, fecal and total coliforms, which will determine the quality of the water source, and whether or not it is potentially contaminated and safe for consumption. Sampling can also be done for inorganics, organics, petroleum products, pesticides, etc. Assistance is also given for chlorination of contaminated wells. In order to test for bacteria, the well must be properly constructed and protected from any potential sources of contamination. Refer to fee schedule (link) for any applicable fees..

For any applicable fees refer to fee schedule below.

Frequently Asked Questions

Additional Resources

• NC Division of Water Quality
• NCSU-Protecting Well Water Supply
• NCSU-Safe Drinking Water After a Flood
• US EPA Ground Water and Drinking Water
• US EPA Drinking Water Contaminants
• E. coli in Drinking Water
• NESC Well Information

 

The Children's Environmental Health Program supports several programs for the protection of children's health. Conditions could exist in such facilities that could lead to accidents, food-born illnesses, or the spread of communicable diseases. The environmental health specialist routinely inspects the following establishments at the listed frequency:

• School Cafeterias (Quarterly)
• Daycare (Semi-annually)
• School Buildings (Annually)
• Residential Care, Foster Family Homes (Annually)
• Lead Investigations (As Necessary)

The Children's Environmental Health Program also works with the state regional environmental health specialist with the lead program to do surveys of homes of children with elevated blood lead levels. Even small amounts of lead from old paint chips or leaded dust can cause harm, especially in children younger than six. A blood lead test is the only way to detect lead poisoning and is recommended in children 1 through 5. The lead test results may require remediation of the home, or require the family to move out.

Frequently Asked Questions

Additional Resources

• School Building Rules
• Residential Care Rules
• Daycare Rules
• Lead Law
• Lead Rules
• Administrative Rules
• Childhood Lead Testing and Follow-up Manual

 

Environmental Health also conducts other activities that do not fall under one of the programs above. Some of these activities, as do the other programs, require opening inspections as well as routine inspections for sanitation in order to protect the public health and prevent the spread of communicable diseases. The environmental health specialist routinely inspects the following facilities at the listed frequency.

• Migrant Labor Camps (Annually)
• Swimming Pools, Wading Pools (Annually)
• Tattoo Parlors (Annually)

Environmental Health also participates in the investigation of communicable diseases (including foodborne and waterborne illnesses) when the mode of transmission may be environmentally related. Disease prevention measures and methods of control are instituted when necessary. Interviews are conducted and food samples are collected (if available) in order to determine the source of the outbreak. Education is then provided so that future outbreaks may be avoided.

Environmental Health conducts complaint investigations on various issues. If the complaint is valid, it is determined which, if any, laws and rules are applicable. Then, steps are taken to eliminate the problem/condition. Occasionally the County Attorney is consulted and becomes involved. If the complaint does not come under the jurisdiction of the local health department, contact information is provided for the proper agency.

Other areas that Environmental Health gets involved in do not have laws and rules that regulate them. The areas of environmental concern are indoor air quality, mold, vector control, vector diseases, disaster relief, bioterrorism, homeland security, etc. In these areas, the environmental health specialist typically takes questions and give out information and recommendations as appropriate. Web sites that address these concerns are often given. Some on these sites are below.

Additional Resources

• Norovirus Fact Sheet
• EPA -Should You Have the Air Ducts Cleaned?
• EPA Indoor Air Quality
• EPA Mold Guide
• Washington State Mold Guide
• What is West Nile virus?
• Mosquito problems start at home
• Mosquitoes - some facts
• Cockroaches - some facts
• Ticks - some facts
• Lyme disease - some facts
• EPA-Hurricane Preparedness
• EPA- Flood Cleanup
• Mesothelioma

 

 

 

 

       

 

 

Franklin County Health Department
Division of Environmental Health
107 Industrial Drive - Suite C
Louisburg, NC 27549

919-496-8100 (voice)
919-496-8136 (fax)

Office hours are 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Staff office hours are 8:00 AM to 9:00 AM
Monday through Friday (except holidays)