Housing

Housing

Ogle County Health Department provides information to reduce the hazards of lead within your home, and offer educational resources for other potential hazards, including mold, radon, and pest control. Whether you are renting or own your own home, a healthy home environment is important for everyone. A healthy home is where an individual or family can feel safe and protected, free from hazards.

Sanitary Standards for Housing

All single- and multi-family housing units shall meet the following minimum sanitary standards:

  1. Potable Water: Each dwelling unit shall be provided with potable running water under sufficient pressure to operate fixtures and appliances. All associated plumbing must comply with the Illinois state plumbing code.
  2. Sewage Disposal: Each dwelling unit shall be provided with a sewage disposal system constructed in compliance with provisions of this chapter.
  3. Insect And Rodent Control: Each dwelling unit shall be free of insect and rodent infestation.
  4. Electricity: All dwelling units shall be provided with electricity. Electrical wiring shall be installed in accordance with provisions of the national electrical code and all applicable state fire codes.
  5. Heating: All dwelling units shall be provided with operable heating systems capable of maintaining occupied room temperatures above seventy-two degrees Fahrenheit (72°F).
  6. Natural Ventilation: Each habitable room in a dwelling unit shall be provided with an operable window or mechanical ventilation device. (1986 Revisions)
     Ogle County Code

Mold

Illinois Public Health Department does not regulate mold issues.

Below are links to helpful information regarding mold.

     IDPH Mold FAQs
     CDC Basic Facts about Mold and Dampness
     EPA Mold Information
     Black Mold Clean up

Lead

The Environmental Health Division of the Ogle County Health Department conducts Elevated Blood Lead risk investigations of a home for children living there with a blood lead level higher than 5 µg/dL in accordance with the Illinois Department of Health Lead Poisoning Prevention Code. The most common exposure to lead by children is through the ingestion of paint chips and contaminated dust from deteriorated or disturbed lead-based paint in homes built before 1978. About 75 percent of Illinois homes built before 1978 contain some lead-based paint Other exposures may be from imported goods or food containing lead. Sampling is done mainly through XRF testing, dust wipes and soil sampling.

Below are links to helpful information regarding lead.

     OCHD Lead Program
     IDPH Lead Poisoning Prevention

Radon

The Ogle County Health Department has radon kits available for $12. 

Radon is a colorless, odorless, radioactive gas. It is a Class A human carcinogen, which means there is actual evidence that exposure to radon causes lung cancer in humans.

Testing is the only way to determine the radon level and risk in your home. Radon testing is easy and inexpensive. Radon detectors are available at hardware stores or by calling the Illinois Department of Nuclear Safety for a list of licensed laboratories that sell detectors.

Illinois Department of Nuclear Safety, Radon Information Line: (800) 325-1245

     IEMA - Radon Facts
     Find a Licensed Professional in Your County

Radon

Pests

Ogle County Health Department does not have an active inspection program for investigating pest or pest concerns inside residential or commercial buildings. Please read the information below regarding common pests.

Bed Bugs
Bed bugs are insect pests that can infest homes, apartments, hotels, shelters, and any place they can find people at rest--attracted to the warmth of human bodies and the carbon dioxide we exhale, bed bugs usually feed on human blood during night-time hours. Although pathogens have been found in bed bugs and their bites may cause discomfort and, in some cases, cause allergic skin reactions in susceptible populations, bed bugs do not transmit diseases to humans.

     Bed Bugs: Learn About Bed Bugs
     About Bed Bugs
    Controlling Bed Bugs

bed-bug-size-millimeters

Rodents
Throughout history, rodents have always been a component of environmental health and safety. Known to carry a variety of diseases that can spread to humans, rodents pose a direct to human health. In addition to carrying diseases, rodent infestations have been damaging homes and businesses for centuries. 

     House Mouse Prevention & Control
     Rodent Control
     Controlling Rodents and Regulating Rodenticides

Rodent

Cockroaches
Cockroaches are common pests within structures that provide them with food, water, and shelter. Cockroaches are not only a nuisance but a threat to human health by spreading disease pathogens onto household surfaces, food, and food contact surfaces. Also, fragments of a cockroach nymph’s exoskeleton and particles of cockroach feces act as antigens when inhaled and may trigger allergic and asthmatic reactions.

     Cockroaches: Types and Management
     About Cockroaches
     Pest Controlcockroach