Juvenile Shelter

EH issues permits for Small Public Water Systems

12. EH does not currently have sufficient staff or funding technician and testing done by an accredited labora- to locate and oversee the sealing of abandoned wells. tory.

EH employs Registered Environmental Health Spe- cialists as field inspectors. (INVESTIGATIONS: Small Public Water Systems-

EH water samples are tested at the county Public 2000–2001 YOLO COUNTY GRAND JURY FINAL REPORT When water is found to be contaminated and unsafe understaffed. EH employs the equivalent of 1.6 full-

would enable EH to fully meet its legal obligation antagonism if more than one regulatory agency has to protect water quality in Yolo County, at a cost of authority over a water system or associated systems, $70,000 a year. if the operator needs different permits from different

17. There were no confirmed cases of illness attributable complaint. to contaminated water in Yolo County in the two years preceding the Grand Jury's investigation.

At the time of our investigation, only one formal (INVESTIGATIONS: Yolo County Procurement- training session had been held. 2000–2001 YOLO COUNTY GRAND JURY FINAL REPORT The technology the county uses for procurement

EH attempts to verify whether in fact users have been only after at least two consecutive water samples test notified appropriately, but staffing constraints limit negative for contaminants. how much follow-up the department can do. Water sampling must be performed by an accredited 2.

EH does not currently have sufficient staff or funding technician and testing done by an accredited labora- to locate and oversee the sealing of abandoned wells. tory.

At the time of the Grand Jury investigation, EH was

EH lost four employees in 2000 to nearby counties agencies, and if the agencies themselves enforce that can offer better compensation. different standards. EH appears on the whole to

EH's operating budget is $1.3 million; of that total, maintain good working relations with the other agen- 80 percent comes from user fees, 14 percent from cies that have parallel or related authority, but it is the county general fund, and the remainder from possible that more could be done to alleviate the federal grants and state funds. Water user fees bring potential for system operators to misunderstand their the department just over $104,000 a year. obligations and the reasons for them.

EH is legally constrained from raising permit fees. The Grand Jury found no evidence to support the 6.

There were no confirmed cases of illness attributable complaint. to contaminated water in Yolo County in the two years preceding the Grand Jury's investigation.