Environmental Public Health Home

What is environmental health? 

Environmental health is the area of public health concerned with all aspects of the natural and built (man-made) environment that may affect human health. DOH-Sarasota's Environmental Health division protects health in the community by:

• Inspecting and licensing facilities that may impact health,
• Monitoring and/or improving environmental hazards, which may be biological (like red tide or bacteria in water) or chemical (like pollution), and
• Promoting healthy living spaces that encourage people to live healthier lives.

Environmental Health Services We Provide 

We offer many environmental health services.  Use the links at left to get more information about specific services and programs.

Questions?  Contact your Environmental Health office using the information at right or by visiting the Locations page for the Sarasota Office or the Venice Office.

INSPECTIONS & LICENSING

Monitoring facilities and services for compliance with state law to ensure safe and sanitary operation.

• Day care centers and family day care homes
• Drinking water (public water systems)
• Food hygiene: non-restaurant places like schools, assisted living facilities, and fraternal organizations
• Group care facilities (including prisons)
• Mobile home parks
• Non-emergency medical transport
• Body piercing and tattoo parlors
• Tanning facilities
• Schools
• Taverns (Bars and Lounges)
• Septic systems
• Water well construction permitting

ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING

Taking regular measurements of the environment to ensure public health and safety and responding to environmental accidents and concerns.

• Sanitary nuisances: investigation of reported problems like animal waste or ineffective septic systems
• Gulf water monitoring: regular sampling of waters at 16 Sarasota County beaches. These are analyzed for red tide and harmful bacteria. Results can be found at Our Gulf Environment, and warnings are posted at affected beaches, if necessary.
• Public drinking water: monitoring for contaminants in water sources that supply 85% of Sarasota County residents’ drinking water
• Lead monitoring: detection of potential sources of lead poisoning
• Public pools & spas

AND MUCH MORE

• Private wells: permitting and testing for safe water
• Rabies control: investigating/reporting suspected exposures, coordinating quarantines
• Biomedical Waste/Needle Disposal program: no-cost, safe, and legal disposal of medical waste and prescription drugs
• Indoor air quality analysis
• Healthy community design & built environment