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Inspectional Division-Environmental Sanitation/Health

The Environmental Sanitation and Health Division encompasses a very wide range of issues relating to environmental health. This division is responsible for water- from bathing beach testing and semi-public and public swimming pool compliance inspections to information on drinking water and storm water and flooding. This division deals with pest issues including rodents, mosquitoes, ticks and other wildlife. Air and noise pollution complaints are investigated by our sanitarians, along with the air-related issues of asbestos, radon and mold.

Inspections performed by this division include pre-demolition inspections for hazardous materials, and license and compliance inspections for tanning and body establishments. Plans for projects before the planning and zoning boards are reviewed from the Health Department perspective by this Division.

Contacts:

Chief Sanitarian
Cynthia P. DeCristofaro, R.S.
(617) 376-1278
email: Cindy DeCristofaro

Sanitarian
Timothy Marble, R.S.
(617) 376-1276
email: Timothy Marble

Site Plan Review & Comment
performed for subdivision, Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) and Planned Unit Development (PUD) submittals.

Water Quality Investigation and/or Information
performed upon receipt of complaint or inquiry. Quincy's drinking water is supplied from the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA). Visit the MWRA's web site at: MWRA

Occasionally, residents may experience discolored (rusty) water. For more information, read our Rusty Water Fact Sheet.

Bathing Beach Water Sampling Program
The Quincy Health Department will begin its summer beach water sampling program on Wednesday, June 16, 2010. Water samples will be collected every Wednesday thereafter), through September 1st, at thirteen (13) beach locations. The results will be analyzed for enterococcus counts by a private laboratory, and will be made available to the public and media by Thursday or Friday of each week throughout the summer months.

The Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), will collect and analyze water samples at four locations along Wollaston Beach. The sample results will be reported to beach managers and the Quincy Health Department by Thursday/Friday of each week.

Quincy will utilize the state standard of 104 or greater enterococci colonies as an indication of potential health risk. Beaches with single sample counts of 104 or greater will be resampled and posted with warning signs. For a sample of our warning sign, click here. Such beaches are considered unsuitable for swimming and the warning signs will remain in place until individual water samples show enterococcus counts below 104. Once five (or more) samples have been collected, the geometric mean standard of 35 will be used in addition to the instantaneous sampling result. Beaches with a geometric mean of 35 or greater will be posted.

If a period of rainfall occurs after the water samples are taken each Wednesday, it is important that people understand that such samples may not represent an accurate reflection of the water quality that will be reported on Fridays. Contaminated storm water flows can be discharged into the harbor from pipes and drains after ¼ of an inch of rainfall or greater occurs in a given day. We therefore recommend that people refrain from swimming or bathing for a period of 48 hours after a significant rainfall to allow for the natural flushing action of the tides to dilute and cleanse the water.

The City of Quincy has been involved in a Bathing Water Quality Improvement Program over the past several years. This program involved the detection and repair of problems within those sewer and storm drainpipes that adversely affected Quincy Bay. This program, administered by the City's Department of Public Works, continues today, with ongoing, routine maintenance practices such as street sweeping, drain cleaning and tide gate inspections.

For more information regarding the beach testing program, please contact 376-1278. A 24-hour recorded message will be available at (617) 376-1288 to obtain the weekly beach sampling results. The results will also be posted here on the City of Quincy's Web Page.

For our 2011 Bathing Beach Water Sampling Report Summary, click here

Pump-Out Boat
Contact Glenn Spencer at 617-908-9757.
From May through October, the Health Department, with grant money from the State Department of Marine Fisheries and funds from the City of Quincy, operates a pump-out boat. The purpose of the pump-out boat is to pump waste from the holding tanks of recreational marine boats, in an effort to prevent human waste from polluting the waters of Quincy Bay, Boston Harbor and Massachusetts Bay.

The pump-out boat operates 5:00 - 7:30 PM Monday through Friday and 8:00AM -4:00 PM on Saturdays and Sundays, at marinas from Town River to Marina Bay. Folks requesting pump-out service can call (617)908-9757 and leave a detailed message or a call-back number. Service requests should include as much detail as possible, including, but not limited to marina location, dock location, boat name, color, and size. An orange flag should be placed on the bow of the boat to further identify the need for pump-out services. Service requests can also be made over channels 9, 12 or 16 during the pump-out boat's operating hours (listed above).

Public & Semi-Public Swimming Pool/Sauna Compliance Inspections
As per the State Sanitary Code, 105 CMR 435.000, no person shall operate or maintain any public or semi-public swimming, wading or special purpose pool (spa) without obtaining a permit from the local Health Department or Board of Health. (Semi-Public Pool means a swimming, wading or special purpose pool on the premises of, or used in connection with a hotel, motel, trailer court, apartment house, condominium, country club, youth club, school, camp, or similar establishment where the primary purpose of the establishment is not the operation of the swimming facilities, and where admission to the use of the pool is included in the fee or consideration paid or given for the primary use of the premises. Semi-public pool shall also mean a pool constructed and maintained by groups for the purposes of providing bathing facilities for members and guests only). The permit is required to state the method of water treatment, the number of trained lifeguards required and the maximum number of people allowed in the water at any time (see 105 CMR 435.27). The permit shall be subject to the requirements of 105 CMR 435.00 and to any regulations as may be adopted by the Health Department. In Quincy, the Health Department requires the pool operator provide bacteriological testing of pool water at opening (for seasonal pools) and monthly thereafter. The bacteriological testing must include tests for coliform bacteria (with a standard of less than one) and pseudomonas aeruginosa (for spas only), also with a standard of less than one. Inspectors from the Quincy Health Department inspect pools on a monthly basis.
To view our seasonal pool opening checklist, click here:

To view our Swimming pool inspection form, click here:

Air Quality & Noise Investigations
performed upon receipt of a complaint or inquiry.

Flood-related Information and/or Investigations
of residences and businesses, relating to drainage and/or sewage problems
and related health effects; performed upon request.

To view the State Department of Public Health's Storm Fact Sheet, click here: Storm Facts

Pre-demolition Inspections
Required per Inspecional Services, performed upon request. For details and health department contacts, click here for our demolition protocol

Inspection of Skating Rinks for Indoor Air Quality
The purpose of regulation 105 CMR 675.000 "Requirements to Maintain Air Quality in Indoor Skating Rinks (State Sanitary Code, Chapter XI) is to ensure the public health and safety of patrons who use indoor skating rinks by limiting air concentrations of carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide produced by fossil fuel resurfacing equipment to acceptable levels. This is accomplished by requiring indoor ice rink operators to: conduct air sampling for carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide; maintain a log book of such air measurements; take remedial action to reduce air concentrations of carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide where warranted; and require indoor ice rink operators to apply for an annual certificate of approval for operation. The scope of the regulation applies to all public and private operators of indoor ice skating rinks in Massachusetts; this regulation is enforced locally by the Health Department.

Rodent & Nuisance Pest Control Information and/or Investigations
performed upon receipt of a complaint or inquiry rat