Belmont County Health Department Deputy Commissioner Robert Sproul talks about moving forward on a grant to help qualified people with septic tanks. The news came during a board of health meeting last week. (T-L Photo/J.D. LONG)

ST. CLAIRSVILLE — The Belmont County Health Department has about $150,000 available to help residents who lack septic systems or who have one that is failing.

The news was shared by Deputy Health Commissioner Robert Sproul when the Belmont County Board of Health met at the county Emergency Management Agency headquarters along Ohio 331 on Feb. 14. Sproul touched on septic system inspections and the Water Pollution Control Loan Fund grant the department received.

“It will help to either pay 100 percent of the system or pay part of the system,” Sproul said.

The board voted unanimously for Rich Lucas, health department environmental director, to move forward on the grant.

“We’ve had it the past few years, so it’s been a success,” Sproul said. “In fact, we also had one that we had to basically approve a system today” when a resident needed a replacement part.

Sproul said the department must apply for the grant each year and spend that money or send the remainder back to the state.

Meanwhile, Sproul said county commissioners planned to meet with an architectural firm last week to discuss construction of a new county health department building. The health board currently meets inside the EMA building because of the spaciousness there and the lack of space at the health department, which is located just a few doors up the road. Sproul said the current building, which was built in 1968, was good enough back then but not in 2022.

“Basically, we’ve got four parking spots, five parking spots for the public in the front,” he said. “We’ve outgrown it completely, so they’re looking at building a new building, which we hope happens very soon. Again, we’ll be able to write for more grants, bring in more programs, do more things at that facility but right now, it’s kind of limited. So again, we have to depend on the EMA to use their facility for meetings like this.”

Sproul also touched on the many services the department offers that he feels the public is unaware of. Tamara Hess, director of nursing for the BCHD, outlined some of those programs such as the Family Planning Clinic, which she runs, Women’s Wellness, Child With Medical Handicaps and non-COVID vaccinations for children, as well as vaccinations for adults.

“So, we’ve increased those greatly,” she said of the offerings, adding that the group’s Facebook page lists all of its programs and services that are available.