Environmental Health

Environmental health protects the community from those adverse effects resulting from environmental pollution, unsanitary conditions or unsafe practices.

Backflow Prevention: (516) 227-9692.
This program protects the public water supply from contamination by on-site back siphonage or reversal of water flow from residential home, industrial and commercial facilities.

Bathing Beaches and Swimming Pools:
This office inspects and regulates all public bathing beaches and swimming pools in Nassau County.
Swimming pools and beaches: (516) 227-9717.

Beach Closings/Openings: For up-to-date recorded information on beach closings and openings, call 516-227-9700. To speak with a Health Department representative, weekdays, 9:00 A.M. – 4:45 P.M., call 516-227-9717.

Camps: (516) 227-9717.
The Nassau County Department of Health inspects and monitors children's summer camps in the County.

Effective April 1, 2011, the definition for children's camps has changed. Click below for the new definition. http://w3.health.state.ny.us/dbspace/propregs.nsf/4ac9558781006774852569bd00512fda/6916a105ee9122778525785c004d834e?OpenDocument

Demolition Permits: (516) 227-9715.
Prior to demolition of all residential, commercial and industrial buildings, a rodent-free certification is required. Click here for Rodent free certificate application.

Drinking Water: (516) 227-9692.
Information concerning drinking water quality in public water systems may be obtained from your local water supplier who completes an Annual Water Quality Report. 

Click here for a Listing of Nassau County Public Water Systems and Telephone Numbers

The Nassau County Department of Health cooperated with the New York State Department of Health and Suffolk County Department of Health Services in the Long Island Source Water Assessment Program (SWAP). The LI SWAP study was undertaken as a result of the Federal 1996 Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments and is designed to assess sources of public water supply and their susceptibility to contamination. Click here for the "Executive Summary of the Long Island Source Water Assessment Program" prepared by the New York State Department of Health. (Adobe Acrobat Reader® required)

Further information concerning the study may be obtained by calling Patricia Ramirez of this Department at 516-227-9692 or by visiting the New York State Department of Health website at www.health.state.ny.us/nysdoh/water/swap.htm

Enforcement: (516) 227-9723.
With an administrative law judge presiding, the department conducts hearings on all alleged violations of the Public Health Law, Environmental Conservation Law, the New York State Sanitary Code, the Nassau County Public Health Ordinance and applicable laws of the County of Nassau. It assures correction of the violations and recommends fines to the Board of Health.

FOIL - (Freedom Of Information Law) Requests:
The application can be downloaded, printed, filled in by hand and mailed OR filled out online, printed then mailed.

FOIL Application For Public Access To Environmental Health Records
(1 Page ~ 105 kB .pdf file)

Mail completed application to:
Nassau County Board of Health
Environmental Division
200 County Seat Drive
Mineola, New York 11501

Food Protection: (516) 227-9717.
This service inspects food service establishments, investigates foodborne disease outbreaks and provides training for food industry personnel. It also reviews plans for new and renovated food service establishments. Click here for Summary and Guidelines for Food Protection

 

For food-borne illness complaints, please call (516) 227-9717, weekdays from 9:00a.m.-4:45 p.m.

For emergency complaints after business hours and on weekends, please call (516) 742-6154.

Food Service Managers Training: (516) 227-9717
This service provides training for food service managers for the safe storage, handling and preparation of foods.

General Nuisance Complaints: (516) 227-9715.
This unit responds to complaints regarding dog waste, garbage, overflowing sewage, bird feeding, etc.

Groundwater Protection Areas (Article X): (516) 227-9672.
Certain areas of Nassau County have been designated Special Groundwater Protection Areas and all developments within these areas require a minimum density of one home per 40,000 square feet.

Heat Complaints: (516) 227-9715.
This unit responds to complaints from residents of apartments, cooperatives and condominiums when temperatures in their units fall below certain temperatures during the heating season.

Homeowner Small Fuel Oil Tank Removals and Abandonments: (516) 227-9691.
This program regulates the removal or abandonment of fuel oil tanks 1100 gallons or less used for space heating.
Click here for homeowner underground tank information.

Integrated Pest Management: (516) 227-9457.
This program coordinates the Nassau County pesticide policy and assures that IPM procedures are implemented in the county's Mosquito Control Program.

Lead Exposure: (516) 227-9415.
This office responds to complaints and supports the medical division of Disease Control for lead poisoning. It provides on-site testing for lead and information about abatement programs. www.epa.gov/lead

Mosquito Control Program: (516) 572-1211.
The Health Department and the Department of Public Works work together to help control the spread of mosquitoes through surveillance of mosquito breeding areas, preventing the development of adult mosquitoes, trapping adult mosquitoes, responding to complaints, treating infested areas and testing the trapped mosquitoes for presence of disease. Click here for Nassau County West Nile Disease Information.

Pesticide Notification: (516) 572- 1211.
Department will respond to complaints regarding improper signage and notification by residential and commercial applicators. It will also inspect retail establishments for proper signage regarding the approved application of pesticides.

Rabies and Animal Bites:
This program investigates reports of animal bites and complaints about rodents.
Rabies: (516) 227-9663.
Click Here for Rabies Information

Realty Subdivisions: (516) 227-9672.
This bureau reviews the design and installation of water supply and on-site private sewage disposal facilities for realty subdivisions and commercial projects.

Sewer Connections/Closures: (516) 227-9672.
All facilities located in sewered areas must be connected to public sewers and all existing on-site sanitary systems, which could include cesspools, leaching pools and septic tanks, within these areas must be properly abandoned according to the Nassau County Department of Public Works and Nassau County Department of Health guidelines.

Tattoo and Body Piercing: (516) 227-9717.
This program licenses tattoo and body piercing parlors and operators.

Temporary Residences and Summer Camps: (516) 227-9717.
This service inspects and provides sanitary control over motels and hotels as well as requiring the installation of carbon monoxide detectors. It also inspects and monitors children's summer camps in the County.

Tobacco Monitoring: (516) 227-9617.
One of the programs uses teenage volunteers to conduct compliance checks for tobacco sales to minors at approximately 2000 vendors in the county. It also enforces compliance with local laws regarding smoking in public facilities and tobacco advertising. Click here for the Nassau County Smoking Law 2003.

Toxic and Hazardous Materials Storage, Handling and Control:

Article XI Nassau County Public Health Ordinance. (516) 227-9691. This program regulates and reviews engineering plans for toxic and hazardous materials storage facilities including chemicals and fuel oil.

Commercial facilities that wish to abandon or remove fuel oil tanks 1100 gallons or less that are used for space heating, please follow Homeowner Small Fuel Oil procedures

Underground Injection Control (UIC): (516) 227-9672.
The UIC Program regulates floor drains at automotive repair shops, dry cleaners, manufacturing facilities and commercial establishments to prevent disposal of material harmful to the environment.

Water Quality Monitoring Program:
The Health Department Division of Environmental Health has prepared a report entitled “Water Quality Monitoring to Detect Pesticide Contamination in Ground Water” for the period of July 2001 through January 2002. Click Here For the Water Quality Monitoring Program

Additional information on environmental health may be found on the following websites:

United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) - www.epa.gov

United States Geological Survey - www.usgs.gov

New York State Department of Health - www.health.state.ny.us

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) - www.dec.state.ny.us

Proper Disposal of Household Prescriptions and Over-the-Counter Drugs - www.dec.ny.gov/chemical/45083.html#How

Links for West Nile Virus:

New York State Department of Health - www.health.state.ny.us/nysdoh/westnile/index.htm

Centers for Disease Control and Protection (CDC) - www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/westnile/q&a.htm