The Cass County
Environmental Health Department is responsible for a wide variety of activities
and programs in Cass County.
In 1989 the Cass County Board of Supervisors (through the Cass
County Board of Health) contracted with Guthrie County to operate its program.
This was a more cost-effective means of providing full-time services than hiring
a full-time person in Cass County.
Staff is available (although we are out a lot) weekdays. There
is an answering machine 24-hours a day as well. We hope you will visit the
Guthrie County site to learn of the programs and then contact us for details or
to sign up for some program. The two high profile programs
operated are those involving septic systems and those involving wells and water.
A number of other programs are also administered by Guthrie County. These
include
 radon
awareness,
unsafe
dwellings,
animal
abuse,
dumping,
rabies/animal
bites,
swimming
pool inspection,
tanning
bed inspection,
tattoo
parlor inspection,
bioterrorism,
and
a
number of other minor programs Anyone needing to install
or replace a septic system in Cass County needs to contact the
Environmental Health Department. After a percolation test is done, a permit is
then issued, and an inspection is done before the system is covered up. The
Department works with the contractor and homeowner to see that a properly
designed system is properly installed by the contractor.
To drill a well a State and County permit is required. The well driller
will work with the Environmental Health Dept. to see that there is compliance
with these rules. After the well is completed, a water test is done as part of
the permit. Heat pump wells also require a permit. One of the
most important parts of the program is the Grants To Counties program
for providing cost share money to plug abandoned wells, rehabilitate existing
wells, and to do water testing on existing wells. The State provides each county
with funds to utilize for these programs. Cass County receives $15,000-$20,000
annually for this program. For those who would like further
information, you may go to the website for a wide range of web pages on all the
above topics and many more.
It is at
http://www.guthriecounty.org/envhealth/index.html.
It should be kept in mind that these topics are specific for Guthrie County BUT
in most cases are about 90% or more the same for Cass County. The web pages
cover lots of specific programs that Guthrie County has that Cass County does
not but these are obvious in most cases. |
