Knox Public Health: $175,000 state septic grant, Lyme uptick and new care partnerships

Knox Public Health officials told the Knox County Board of Commissioners on June 4 that the agency has been awarded $175,000 from the Ohio EPA to help homeowners repair or replace failing septic systems and that the county is already working with township trustees and identified contractors to deploy the funds locally.

Zach, a Knox Public Health official, said the award is the largest the county has received in his tenure and urged trustees and staff to publicize the aid. “We were awarded a 175,000,” he said, noting past awards of $75,000 and $150,000 in earlier cycles and explaining the department’s outreach strategy to ensure the money is drawn down and used in Knox County. He estimated the $175,000 could cover roughly seven to 10 repairs or replacements depending on soil conditions and system type.

Why it matters: Officials said replacement systems can cost more than $30,000 for some properties and described the grant as targeted relief to avoid groundwater impacts and reduce financial burdens on homeowners who may delay repairs.

Health officials also raised concerns about pending state legislative changes affecting sewage rules. Zach said some proposed language would make the 10-year operation-and-maintenance (O&M) reinspection program optional and could remove soil-testing requirements. “If we’re not testing the soils to really determine what’s in the best interest of the system you’re putting in … we’re gonna go backwards in some of our innovation,” he said, arguing that soil tests are important to select the right system and to avoid future costly upgrades.

Zach explained the health district’s current approach: staff do not perform random door-to-door inspections; the O&M program is triggered by new systems and by complaints, and soil-scientist reports in Knox County typically take about two to three weeks. He said the agency is trying to mitigate costs for homeowners while preserving necessary safeguards.

On infectious disease, the department reported a rise in Lyme disease cases: “So currently where we are year to date, we have 35 cases,” Zach said, and added that cases are appearing earlier in the season as Lyme expands geographically. He reminded residents that the agency offers tick identification (but not laboratory testing for Lyme) and that testing a tick does not guarantee whether a person will contract the disease. He cautioned against routine prophylactic antibiotic use without clinical indication, citing concerns about overuse of doxycycline.

The presentation also described service-line expansions and partnerships. Anthony Bowersock, project director and deputy health commissioner, said Knox Public Health has achieved recognition as a Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) and is a Project Adam site, enabling coordinated cardiac emergency response. “It’s about team-based care, chronic condition management,” Bowersock said, outlining integrated medical, dental and behavioral health services and the county’s work with Nationwide Children’s to support pediatric care.

Bowersock said the agency is not planning new construction at this time because of recent reimbursement cuts (he referenced a roughly $800,000 reduction in Medicaid reimbursements earlier in the year), limited leased behavioral-health space on Mulberry Street, and uncertainty around funding. He described the department as in a planning phase for any future expansion and said a nonmonetary partnership with the Mount Vernon American Red Cross to host disaster supplies and provide an on-site vehicle for after-hours response is expected to begin June 22.

The department invited commissioners and residents to contact staff with questions about Lyme symptoms and testing. The presentation closed with commissioners welcoming Bowersock and thanking the health department for the updates.

Next steps: County staff said they will continue outreach to township trustees to identify eligible homeowners for the septic funds and will monitor state legislation that could affect O&M and soil-testing requirements.