Environmental Health Division Special Projects

Rehabilitation Services

Housing Rehabilitation Services:
Through a cooperative effort with the Franklin County Board of Commissioners Department of Community and Economic Development, our department is participating in a Federal Community Development Block Grant Program that provides funds for handicap accessibility modifications, urgent repairs, private sewage system and private well repairs or replacement. This program provides grants to qualified homeowners for emergency repairs of roofs, plumbing and HVAC systems, electrical systems, ramps, bathroom and kitchen modifications and lift chair systems to provide handicap accessible homes. The program serves all of Franklin County except the City of Columbus.

Safe Housing Services for Veterans:
Under a contract with the Franklin County Veterans Commission and with funding from the Franklin County Commissioners, the Environmental Health Division provides handicap and safe housing home modifications for Veterans. Call (614) 462-3920 for more details.

Hotel Sanitation Ordinance

Franklin County Board of Health staff, and representatives of most of the municipalities in Franklin County, fire departments and the State Fire Marshal, worked together to develop a model Hotel Sanitation Ordinance that the cities in Franklin County could adopt to address numerous complaints from the public concerning unsanitary and unhealthy conditions in local hotels and motels. The Hotel Sanitation Ordinance sets minimal standards for cleanliness and sanitation for hotels and motels, and requires them to be inspected twice a year. Several representatives of the lodging industry in the county reviewed and commented on the draft. A final version of the ordinance was made available to all of the municipalities in Franklin County in June, 2005. Since then, Grove City, Hilliard and Grandview Heights have adopted the ordinance, and several other cities and villages are in the process of doing the same. In 2006 the program successfully eliminated many hotel sanitation violations and is a candidate for statewide initiation.

Water Quality Partnership Program

Using Community Block Grant Funds from the Franklin County Board of Commissioners, the Environmental Health Division manages the process of connecting homes to sanitary sewers for qualified homeowners. The Franklin County Board of Commissioners provide these new sewers using a variety of funding sources in cooperation with the Franklin County Sanitary Engineer, Township elected officials and the City of Columbus. Starting in mid 2004 and going through 2008, the Water Quality Partnership program will provide sewers to over 1,000 Franklin County residents in over 13 areas, and more importantly, remove these homes from depending on failed sewage systems. This program directly improves public health and stream water quality by removing pollution from streams and drinking water wells.

Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination Program:
The Board of Health works to eliminate illicit discharges from sewage treatment systems into storm sewer systems with funding from the Franklin County Commissioners and a partnership with the Franklin County Engineer, the Franklin County Sanitary Engineer, the Franklin County Department of Planning and Development, the Franklin County Soil and Water Conservation District and the Franklin County Township Trustees. This program is a federal mandate from the EPA and will result in a cleaner and healthier environment.