Environmental Services

Services

  • Disaster planning
  • Education programs
  • Household hazardous waste programming assistance
  • Nuisance complaint responses
  • Real estate transfer inspections
  • Sanitation code implementation
  • Septic system assistance
  • Sewage system assistance
  • Site evaluations
  • Testing of drinking water
  • Water well assistance
  • Well plugging

Function

The Pratt County Environmental Service’s primary mission is the protection of the water in Pratt County. This is primarily accomplished through the monitoring and inspection of both water wells and waste water installations.

Permit Approval

Inspecting the location and above ground construction as well as reviewing the WWC-5 (state drilling log) is a requirement of permit approval. If someone is not permitting a well but just tests the water (usually by mailing in a sample) and the water does not meet standards, we first do a follow-up confirmation test.

After that we then work one on one with the homeowner to determine the cause / solution to the problem. Usually we work first with a site inspection of the well and pull a sample ourselves to eliminate error.

Sanitation Code

Regarding the Sanitation Code: The codes were developed and adopted by the Pratt County Commissioners in Nov. 1987, and placed into effect on Jan. 4, 1988. The code was approved by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment and goes somewhat with state law. Some of our local codes are actually more stringent than state standards. This is allowed; our codes could not be weaker but can be stricter.

In accordance with the code requirements, the Health Officer or "Designated Representative" is responsible for implementing the County Code.