Environmental Health Services

The Environmental Health Division's mission is to prevent illness, disease, and injury to the residents and visitors of Antrim, Charlevoix, Emmet and Otsego counties, through assessment, education, consultation, testing, and evaluation of home, work, school, and recreational environments.

Downloads:

Residential Well and Septic Permit Application [PDF File]

(You may also apply online here.)
2013 EH Fee Schedule - Chx, Antrim, Emmet counties [PDF File]

2013 EH Fee Schedule - Otsego county [PDF File]

District Sanitary Codes:
Antrim, Charlevoix, and Otsego Counties [PDF File]

Emmet County [PDF File]

Instructions for Simple Chlorination of Residential Wells [PDF File]

Well-first Protocol for Antrim County [PDF File]

MEHA Fact Sheet about Home Septic Systems [PDF File]

MEHA Fact Sheet about Illicit Wastewater Connections [PDF File]

MEHA Fact Sheet about Buying Property [PDF File]

Fact Sheet about Preparing Seasonal Cabin Septic Systems for Winter [External Link]

Suggested Guidlines for Remediation of Damage from Sewage Backflow into Buildings [External Link]

Nuisance Complaints

A nuisance complaint investigation will be conducted by Environmental Health field staff when a signed complaint is received by any of our branch offices. Complaints relating to sewage, food and garbage are the most commonly investigated nuisances. If the complaint does not fall within the authority of the Health Department, clients may be referred to other regulating agencies. Nuisance complaints are prioritized by their significance with respect to public health risks.

Nuisance Complaint form [PDF File]

Tenant/Landlord Assistance Information

Complaints involving tenant/landlord issues, generally, do not fall within the authority of the Health Department, unless they are associated with water, sewage or garbage. To assist clients with housing issues or tenant/landlord disputes, we have provided the following resources:

For general tenant/landlord legal information, contact the Michigan Attorney General toll free help line at 1-877-765-8388
For issues regarding mobile home parks, contact the Department of Consumer and Industry Services at 517-241-9347.

Web Resources:
A Practical Guide for Tenants and Landlords (Michigan Legislature website) [External Link]

US Department of Housing and Urban Development website [External Link]

DHS Inspections

HDNW sanitarians conduct Environmental Health Inspections for a variety of care facilities including; foster homes, family and group day care homes, child care centers and children's camps. Inspections are part of an overall licensing process administered by the Michigan Department of Human Services. Requests for inspections can be made through our branch offices or by referral from DHS, depending on facility inspection required.

DHS Inspection Request form [External Link]

Residential Water Testing

The Health Department has test kits available for many types of water sampling; including the two most common: Bacteriological and Partial Chemical. Stop by any of our offices to pick up one or more of the following test kits:

Bacteriologic (Coliform) Sampling
(Required for new wells - included in permit fee)
Test Code B
Fee: $18.00

Partial Chemical Sampling
(Fluoride, Chloride, Hardness, Iron, Sodium, Sulfates, Nitrites and Nitrates)
(Required for new wells - included in permit fee)
Test Code C
Fee: $20.00

2 Options for Shipping/Delivery to Lab:
1. Save money and time by returning your sample to any of our 4 Environmental Health offices!
Simply collect your water sample and drop it off the same day (see below) to our Bellaire, Charlevoix, Harbor Springs, or Gaylord office. We will ship it to our laboratory in Gaylord at no extra charge.

PLEASE NOTE:
Samples MUST be collected on the day they are dropped off. Drop-offs will only be accepted on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday mornings between 8 am and 11 am.

2. You may also arrange your own shipment, or drop off samples at the laboratory in Gaylord in person.
It is your responsibility to ensure samples are received by the laboratory within 30 hours of collection. (Be sure to check with the post office or other shipping company to make sure your sample will arrive in time. You may have to pay an additional charge for overnight delivery.)

Download:
Understanding Your Drinking Water Sample Results [External Link]