County Sanitarian:
Stephen Patterson
cell: (641) 757-0815

Assistant Sanitarian:
Mike Stringham
cell: (641) 757-0468

Environmental Technician:
Mike Downing

Office Manager:
Darcia Robson

Ph: (641) 747-8320
Fax: (641) 747-8916
envhlth@netins.net

Guthrie County Courthouse
200 North 5th Street
Guthrie Center, IA 50115

Hrs: 8:00 - 4:30 (M-F)

Guthrie County Main > Environmental Health

The Guthrie County Environmental Health Department provides a wide range of services to the residents of Guthrie County. Cass, Audubon, and Adair counties also are provided full service by this office under separate agreements with each county. These other counties pay Guthrie County to operate services in their counties as a way to save them money and to help fund this county’s office.

Major programs provided include nearly all aspects of private wells and on-site sewage systems. Well programs include testing, construction permits, plugging, and renovation. On-site sewage system programs include percolation tests to size systems, issuing permits for construction, inspecting installations, and answering questions for residents.
This department also administers a program on radon testing and providing information to citizens. Further, the department also does all the swimming pool, spa, tanning bed, and tattoo parlor inspections for these four counties plus Union and Adams Counties as well. Such inspections help to safeguard use of these facilities.

Complaint investigation is also a function of this office. We receive and investigate complaints on animal neglect and abuse, dumping and other garbage issues, illegal burning, and animal bites. When possible we also work with tenant complaints regarding rental home conditions. Burning and dumping issues are dealt with in conjunction with the Department of Natural Resources. Iowa law requires that all animal bites be investigated by this office to follow up on proper care of the person bitten and to see that the animal is confined or vaccinations verified.

This department is also involved in many land sales. At the time of sale of any property in Guthrie County, all wells on that property must be evaluated by this department with certain requirements being enforced. Although we do not have a required County-wide inspection of on-site sewage systems at the time of sale, this Dept. does do many inspections at the request of real estate agents, buyers, and lending institutions as well as agencies such as FHA and VA. Lake Panorama is an exception in that a time of sale inspection is required on all single-family home sales. In 2007 the Board of Health also made time of sale inspections mandatory on all on-site systems within the limits of any city in Guthrie County.

Please look closely at the wide listing of topics that are provided for your closer examination. Click on those that would interest you to read a short summary of that topic.