Marquette County health officer to propose updated REHA fees and stand up private-well testing
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Summary
Marquette County Health Officer Jayme Sopha told the Board of Health she will propose an updated REHA licensing and service fee schedule in Q1 2026 and outlined plans to open a TNC water-testing program for bacteria and nitrate testing for private wells and licensed facilities.
Marquette County Health Officer Jayme Sopha told the Board of Health on Dec. 2 that the department will propose an updated licensing and service fee schedule for its REHA (environmental health) programs in the first quarter of 2026 and is moving forward to establish a local water-testing (TNC) capability that will test bacteria and nitrates.
The proposal follows monthly REHA reports presented by REHA Manager Jessica Jungenberg showing routine environmental contacts: in September staff handled eight rabies contacts and four quarantine orders (three releases), one well-water resample and four housing complaints; October recorded eight rabies contacts and three lead contacts; November included six rabies contacts and 38 lead-related contacts that have since been cleared and closed. Jungenberg said the department is compiling these operational data to inform the annual fee-evaluation process.
Jungenberg described the water-testing effort as a work-in-progress: because Wisconsin DNR (Department of Natural Resources) and DATCP (Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection) do not maintain a single equipment list for TNC labs, staff consulted peer labs to determine suitable equipment and workflows. Applications are being completed and the immediate procurement need is reagents for processing samples; the service is intended to accept private-well submissions and samples from licensed facilities.
The department also plans operational communications for regulated operators: Jungenberg said she had sent roughly 500 emails to operators, received 142 responses and saw 15 undeliverable addresses. The responses informed preferences for trainings and communications; the department will send a quarterly newsletter to operators with timely guidance and resources.
The department introduced Amber Pelehowski as its new Environmental Health Specialist. Pelehowski was presented to the board and welcomed by members.
The board did not take a formal vote on the fee schedule at this meeting; Sopha said the board can expect a formal proposal and supporting materials in early 2026 so members can review recommended fee changes and associated service-level justifications.