MDH questions county’s wastewater procedure

By Rupert Howell
Confusion about Panola County’s new wastewater treatment policy caused Mississippi Department of Health representative Duncan Welch to get on Monday’s agenda only to be taken off before Monday’s meeting of Panola supervisors.
Board attorney Bill McKenzie informed supervisors that a recent decision to contract with a part-time “as needed” and certified wastewater inspector instead of going through new protocol established by the Department of Health had thrown up a red flag to the state agency.
A public hearing was advertised and held in Batesville at the August 8 supervisor meeting when no one including MDH attended to object to the proposed change.
Panola County Flood Plain manager Chad Meek whose duties include issuing permits for building and construction told supervisors in July that his department has always depended on the State Health Department’s office to approve rural wastewater treatment facilities.
Their approval of wastewater systems triggered application for utilities and other services such as electricity and timely inspections allowed citizens to get all permitting done on a one-stop-at-one-shop basis with the county collecting payment at their office Meek explained.
Meek said in July that under the Department of Health’s new criteria, the inspections would not be as timely and application would be done over the internet with payment coming through debit or credit cards.
District One supervisor James Birge said Monday, “A lot of people don’t have computers or credit cards.”
Inspections are currently done by retired Department of Health employee Field Dew who said he had been doing the same job for the state for over 30 years and had taught others in the department how to do waste water inspections.
The retired MDH employee had previously stated that Panola was one of a few Mississippi counties, if any, where permitting on-site wastewater system approval, new 911 addresses, mobile home permits, new construction permits and flood elevation approval could be acquired in one location, the Cliff Finch County Office Building on Eureka Street in Batesville.
Although no action was taken, McKenzie said he offered the MDH official the opportunity to attend a later meeting if he so chose.