HILLSBORO, Ohio — Highland County residents and prospective property buyers can now search sewage system, private water system and public health nuisance records for individual properties through a new online portal, the Highland County Health Department announced.
The department said the property-specific records are available through a Laserfiche-based portal at no cost to the public. The tool allows users to look up whether a household sewage treatment system, private water system or nuisance complaint is on file for a specific address without visiting the health department’s office in person.
The health department’s environmental health division handles permitting and inspections for household sewage treatment systems countywide, requiring approval before any new system is installed or an existing one is altered or replaced. The division also oversees private water systems — including wells, ponds, springs, cisterns and hauled water storage tanks — that serve fewer than 25 people, according to the department.
The department separately runs a nuisance complaint program that investigates reports of public health hazards such as illegal trash dumps, failing sewage systems, mosquito breeding sites and tire dumps. Because Highland County has no countywide zoning or building code, the health department’s authority in such cases is limited to public health concerns and does not extend to general building or structural issues, the department has said.
Records searches through the new portal could be useful to homebuyers and real estate agents seeking to confirm whether a property’s sewage or water system has a permit on file, or whether a nuisance complaint has been logged at an address, before a purchase is finalized.
Highland County Health Department is accredited by the Public Health Accreditation Board, a national nonprofit that certifies health departments meeting standards for performance and infrastructure.
Residents with questions about the new online search tool can call the health department at 937-393-1941.
The information contained in this story was obtained from the Highland County Health Department.
