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County health district director addresses Toppenish Council
- By Richard Burger
- Published 08/3/2010
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Richard Burger
View all articles by Richard Burger
Toppenish City Council heard a presentation by Dennis Klukan, Director of the Yakima County Health District at their regular meeting July 28.
Klukan’s presentation recounted the history of the health district, which will mark its 100-year anniversary next year.
Before the formation of the health district, Yakima County suffered from a high occurrence of typhoid fever, Klukan said.
Investigation revealed that the culprit was what was known then as the “privy.”
More specifically, it was the proximity of the privy to the household well, which was most often hand-dug and shallow.
Pollution of the dwelling’s drinking water was frequently the result, and that pollution gave rise to the increase in illness.
A campaign was undertaken to educate county residents about the importance and methods of proper sanitation to resolve the problem.
At the conclusion of his presentation, Klukan took questions from Council members.
Councilman Derald Ortloff asked if the health district was participating in efforts to deal with current concerns about pollution in some valley residential wells.
Klukan said he believed that it was the shallowness of the wells that was the problem. He defined shallow as 20 feet or less.
He said he believed the primary aquifer in the valley is contaminated and will likely remain contaminated.
“Deeper (residential) wells are the solution,” Klukan said.
The primary aquifer probably shouldn’t be used, he said.
Toppenish City Manager Bill Murphy stressed that the city wells were hundreds of feet deep, and would not be affected by contamination that might occur in wells fed by the shallow aquifer.
In other business, Murphy announced that city planner Bill Rathbone had been named chairman of the technical advisory committee of the HOME consortium.
The consortium helps participating communities provide affordable housing.
On a related note, Murphy said the city had received eight inquiries into the Downtown Revitalization Program that was announced at the Council’s July 12 meeting.
Through the program, owners of Toppenish commercial property, particularly in the downtown core, may get financial help to improve the appearance of commercial buildings and related site elements.
Funds supporting the program are an accumulation of the repayment of housing rehabilitation loans over a number of years, and the money is regulated by the state Department of Commerce and its use is restricted to revitalization and rehabilitation.
The intent of the program is to stimulate investment and economic development and reduce blight.
Klukan’s presentation recounted the history of the health district, which will mark its 100-year anniversary next year.
Before the formation of the health district, Yakima County suffered from a high occurrence of typhoid fever, Klukan said.
Investigation revealed that the culprit was what was known then as the “privy.”
More specifically, it was the proximity of the privy to the household well, which was most often hand-dug and shallow.
Pollution of the dwelling’s drinking water was frequently the result, and that pollution gave rise to the increase in illness.
A campaign was undertaken to educate county residents about the importance and methods of proper sanitation to resolve the problem.
At the conclusion of his presentation, Klukan took questions from Council members.
Councilman Derald Ortloff asked if the health district was participating in efforts to deal with current concerns about pollution in some valley residential wells.
Klukan said he believed that it was the shallowness of the wells that was the problem. He defined shallow as 20 feet or less.
He said he believed the primary aquifer in the valley is contaminated and will likely remain contaminated.
“Deeper (residential) wells are the solution,” Klukan said.
The primary aquifer probably shouldn’t be used, he said.
Toppenish City Manager Bill Murphy stressed that the city wells were hundreds of feet deep, and would not be affected by contamination that might occur in wells fed by the shallow aquifer.
In other business, Murphy announced that city planner Bill Rathbone had been named chairman of the technical advisory committee of the HOME consortium.
The consortium helps participating communities provide affordable housing.
On a related note, Murphy said the city had received eight inquiries into the Downtown Revitalization Program that was announced at the Council’s July 12 meeting.
Through the program, owners of Toppenish commercial property, particularly in the downtown core, may get financial help to improve the appearance of commercial buildings and related site elements.
Funds supporting the program are an accumulation of the repayment of housing rehabilitation loans over a number of years, and the money is regulated by the state Department of Commerce and its use is restricted to revitalization and rehabilitation.
The intent of the program is to stimulate investment and economic development and reduce blight.