Who We Are

Welcome to the Environmental Division of  Crawford County Public Health!

This is the division of the health department that employs the Registered Sanitarians, commonly referred to as health inspectors. The primary role of a Registered Sanitarian is to reduce the risk of and/or prevent illness and injury (such as food borne or water borne illnesses) to the public through the enforcement of state and local regulations while providing education on environmental health. Please visit all the website pages of the Environmental Division to learn more about our programs.
How do you become a Registered Sanitarian?

A Registered Sanitarian (R.S.) must have a four-year college degree with an emphasis in the sciences, spend two years in training under the supervision of an R.S., and must pass a 250 question state exam. Upon obtaining R.S. certification, all sanitarians must receive at least 18 Continuing Education Units (CEU’s) annually to maintain their certification.
Frequently Asked Questions:

Do the restaurants know when you are coming to inspect them?
No. Our food inspections (with the exception of vending machines) are unannounced and unscheduled.

Do you “shut restaurants down” if they have a violation?
Very seldom do we need to enforce our ability to close a facility. Most operators want to cooperate with us and will frequently correct any violations while we are still present. Closing a facility would require violations found to cause imminent danger to public health.

Isn’t my house/septic system “grandfathered” from the regulations?
No. As we are called out to a property, if that home does not have a functioning septic system properly treating the wastewater, we will require that a system be installed. If the home has an older system that is functioning properly, and even though it may be a type of system or a smaller system than what we install today, we will allow the system to remain.

Do I really need to obtain a permit before installing my septic system and well?
Yes. There is a 100% late penalty fee if work is performed prior to obtaining the permit.

Should I have a site review conducted before I purchase a lot?
Yes. Our office has jurisdiction over whether or not a septic system can be installed on a property (due to size, location and soils type). We strongly recommend you have the lot evaluated prior to purchasing and surveying to ensure that the area you are thinking of building upon is suitable to have a septic system installed on it.

Can I make an anonymous call to complain about a property/nuisance?
No. Our office currently requires that the complaint be made to our office in writing with a signature from the person filing the complaint. We will make every effort to maintain your confidentiality, but in a court of law, all files in the Environmental Health division are subject to public knowledge. You can contact your local township trustee and ask them to make the complaint on your behalf.