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Erie County health department to accept two state grants for Lake Erie outreach and wastewater surveillance
Summary
The county health department will accept two Pennsylvania Department of Health grants — $38,344 for Great Lakes safe-fish-consumption outreach and $55,003 to expand Biobot wastewater surveillance through June 30, 2027 — with staff saying the funds will not require general-fund support.
County Health Department representatives told councilors they can accept two Pennsylvania Department of Health grants: $38,344 for a Great Lakes Restorative Initiative focused on safe-fish-consumption education, and $55,003 to expand wastewater surveillance handled by Biobot through June 30, 2027.
A health department representative said the Great Lakes funding will be used for outreach, event education and public messaging in the Lake Erie area; the wastewater grant covers additional disease testing and an extra sampling day. The department said the grants will not require general-fund dollars to sustain existing surveillance work.
A council member asked that the county limit transfers that would move grant funds into general wages, arguing that the county should preserve grant resources to reduce pressure on the general fund when next year’s budget is prepared. Health staff explained an increase in the professional-fees line reflects Biobot testing and added sampling and disease panels.
“That pays the company that does the wastewater treatment facility that pulls the sample, they ship it to Biobot, and their laboratory does it,” a health department representative said when explaining the professional-fee increase.
Councilors generally supported accepting the grants but asked staff to show how the funds will be used and to avoid using one-time grant dollars to expand ongoing general-fund obligations.
