Environmental Health Services
We are committed to protecting our delicate environment!
Anti-Litter Program
The Anti-litter Program hires a total of 12 Litter Patrol Officers that patrol the beach and educate beach-goers on the importance of not littering. At times, it becomes necessary to cite individuals for littering or taking glass to the beach. Litter Patrol Officers are well known for picking up trash and leaving nothing but footprints behind!
Food Inspection Average Score
The Environmental Health Services Department helps to ensure food safety at local restaurants and provides related training for servers and handlers working in restaurants.
The Department conducts restaurant inspections and assists restaurants with hurricane preparedness and in implementing post-emergency procedures.
Vector Control - Larvacide
The Environmental Health Services Department also strives to provide a safer, more enjoyable environment for our City's residents and tourists by reducing the threat of disease-carrying mosquitoes.
The Vector Control program for the City of South Padre Island protects the health and safety of the community by combating disease-carrying mosquitoes (vectors). Performing mosquito management, surveillance (identifying sites with mosquito larvae and collecting, identifying and testing mosquitoes) is essential for the planning, operation, and evaluation of an effective mosquito control program.
Vector Control - Adulticide
One of the primary functions of the Vector Control Program is educating the public about eliminating mosquito breeding sites around the home, as well as enforcing City Ordinances against having properties with overgrown weeds and standing water.
Other mosquito control functions include treating locations where there is standing water with larvicide to prevent mosquito larva from developing into adult mosquitoes and reducing adult mosquito populations using environmentally friendly methods and current technology and equipment.
Qualified Natural Habitat Program
The City encourages the preservation of natural habitat lots.
Applicants may request guidance on natural habitat lots from the Environmental Health Services Department of the City prior to completing an application.
It is important to provide a diverse combination of both nectar and host plants in a butterfly garden in order to benefit a greater diversity of butterfly species. The diversity in butterfly species parallels the diversity of plant life in a habitat. All can be manicured for a garden setting.