The earth’s atmosphere is a complex, dynamic natural gaseous system that is essential to support life. Air pollution is the human introduction into the atmosphere of chemicals, particulates, or biological materials that can cause harm to humans, other living organisms or the environment. Contrary to common perception of associating air pollution mainly with major stationary sources or smokestack industries, mobile sources such as automobiles are gaining increasing importance.
The following sections provide some resources and simple steps for Grand Prairie residents to improve air quality.
Eco Friendly Driving
- Combine errands into one trip. When you start a car after it was parked more than an hour, it pollutes up to five times more than when the engine is warm.
- Share a ride or car pool.
- Care for your car. Regular maintenance and tune ups and checking tire inflation can improve gas mileage and extend your car’s life.
- Report smoking vehicles. If you see a vehicle on the road with visible air pollution, make a note of the license number and report it to the state as a public service following instructions from the NCTCOG's Regional Smoking Vehicle Program web page. The vehicle owner will receive information from the state on the vehicle emissions program and the repair replacement program.
Ozone Smog
EPA has designated nine counties in the DFW area, including Dallas and Tarrant counties, as non-attainment areas of the 8 hour ozone standards. The current threshold value is 85 parts per billion (ppb); however, there is a proposal to reduce it to 70 ppb. The following links give information on Ozone Alert Status and Air Quality Index:
Energy Efficient Homes
Your home uses energy everyday, all day long. It uses energy to keep you warm in the winter and cool in the summer, cook your food, wash and dry your clothes, provide you with light when you need it, entertain you, and for a host of other activities. Natural gas and electricity are the two main sources of energy in Grand Prairie. While limiting the use of natural gas can reduce pollution in our immediate vicinity, limiting the use of electricity will reduce pollution around the generating stations in remote locations, which is beneficial for the region as a whole. Remember, air pollution is a regional issue as it can disperse over long distances.
Here are 10 simple ways to cut home energy costs as recommended by the Consumer Federation of America:
Simple Maintenance
- Check furnace or heat pump filters once a month and replace them regularly. A dirty air filter can increase your energy costs and lead to early equipment failure.
- Get your heating and cooling systems checked once a year. A licensed professional will make sure that each is operating efficiently and safely. Check-ups can identify problems early.
Sealing Air leaks
- Install your storm windows in the winter, if you have them. Add them if you don’t have insulated windows. Choose the ones that have earned the ENERGY STAR, the government’s symbol of energy efficiency.
- Caulk and weather strip all leaky windows, baseboards, and doors.
- Caulk and weather proof all exterior openings for plumbing and electrical service.
- Make sure all attic vents and ducts are properly sealed. Sealing your ducts can save an average of $140 annually on energy bills and consistently heat or cool every room.
- Check your attic and all exterior walls or unfinished rooms to make sure they are well insulated.
Smart Purchases
- Install a programmable thermostat – a system that automatically adjusts to different temperatures to meet your comfort needs. A programmable thermostat can save you an average of $100 a year when programmed and used properly.
- Replace traditional light bulbs and fixtures with compact fluorescents.
- Look for ENERGY STAR qualified products.
The Environmental Quality Division provides education to more than 550 businesses throughout Grand Prairie that deal with the repair, detail, salvaging and selling of cars. Through the Automotive Related Business Program's annual inspections at these facilities, the city ensures that these businesses are committed to being good stewards of the environment and good neighbors to the citizens of Grand Prairie.
As residents of Grand Prairie, you can also help protect our community from vehicle pollution by taking the following steps:
Properly dispose of used vehicle fluids
1 quart of used motor oil can contaminate 1 million gallons of water if it was spilled into a storm drain or even in front of your house. Used vehicle fluids should not be poured down the sink or into the trash. Take fluids to an oil recycling center or to a Household Hazardous Waste Collection event for proper disposal.
Avoid washing your vehicle in your driveway
Washing a car in your driveway with detergent adds excessive nutrients called phosphates to our streams and rivers that cause algae to bloom on top of the water. It causes a foul smell because plants underneath the water decay and die because not enough sunlight can penetrate to the bottom because the algae forms a "blanket" on top of the water. If you do wash your vehicle at home, follow these tips:
- Look for environmentally friendly cleaning products that are phosphate free.
- Use smaller amounts of water by using a spray nozzle.
- Use your lawn (rather than your driveway) as the first step of the filtering system.
Avoid driving aggressively
By slowing down and avoiding aggressive driving, you can improve your fuel economy by 5% if driving in town, or by up to 33% on the highway. Slowing down and keeping to the speed limit also helps to reduce air emissions. Typically for every 5 MPH you drive over 60 MPH, it’s like paying an additional $0.20 per gallon of gas you use. If you have a 13-gallon fuel tank, you can save $2.60 per tank just by driving the speed limit.
Maintain your vehicle
- Change your motor oil and filter every 3,000 miles to keep your engine running cleaner.
- Change your vehicles air filter with every oil change to reduce emissions.
- Check your tire pressure and replace worn tires to improve gas mileage.
- Make sure to get your state inspection yearly and on time. If the vehicle fails any part of the inspection, especially the emissions test, there are programs that can help you fix the problem. Go to www.tceq.com for more info.
The city’s drinking water flows into your house through a series of pipes called the water distribution system. The flow of water is pressure driven, meaning that when you open a faucet the pressure at that faucet drops to zero and the water flows towards the lowest pressure, causing the water to flow out of the faucet. That’s why you may get a drop in your water pressure at your house if there is break in the city’s line, the water is flowing towards the lowest pressure, the break in the water line. View list of Licensed Backflow Testers.
Backflow Testers
All backflow testers must register with Environmental Services annually to test in the City of Grand Prairie. Registration form and required documents may be faxed at 972-237-8228 and payments over the phone at 972-237-8055 or in person at Environmental Services, 300 W. Main St., 2nd Floor, Grand Prairie, TX 75050. Learn more about Registration Requirements for Backflow Testers.
The city requires a valid childcare permit issued by the Environmental Quality Division to child care centers and anyone keeping unrelated children in their homes. The purpose of the childcare permit requirement is to ensure the health, safety, and well being of children in the day care setting. The Environmental Quality Division conducts at least two unannounced inspections a year to ensure compliance with health, safety, and security provisions of the City of Grand Prairie Ordinance.
In addition to state regulations, all child care providers in Grand Prairie are required to be permitted by the City of Grand Prairie. Learn more about Childcare Permits in Grand Prairie.
Seasonal Influenza Basics
Seasonal influenza (referred to as “flu”) is a virus that causes illness in people. This virus spreads from person-to-person worldwide. Spread of the seasonal influenza virus occurs in the same way that many viruses spread. Flu viruses are spread mainly from person to person through coughing or sneezing by people with influenza. Sometimes people may become infected by touching something – such as a surface or object – with flu viruses on it and then touching their mouth or nose.
The symptoms of the influenza virus in people include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. Some people may have vomiting and diarrhea. People may be infected with the seasonal flu and have respiratory symptoms without a fever.
Severe illnesses and death has occurred as a result of illness associated with this virus.
Is there a vaccine for the flu virus? There is a vaccine for seasonal flu that is available from health care providers. The seasonal flu vaccine provides protection against seasonal flu, but it is still very important to cover coughs and sneezes and wash hands frequently. It’s also important to be up to date on your other vaccinations, such as TdaP (tetanus/pertussis/diphtheria and Pneumococcal vaccines, to avoid getting infected with more than one germ at once.
If you are sick with flu-like illness, CDC recommends that you stay home for at least 24 hours after your fever is gone except to get medical care or for other necessities. (Your fever should be gone without the use of a fever-reducing medicine.) Keep away from others as much as possible. Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing. Put your used tissue in the waste basket. Then, clean your hands, and do so every time you cough or sneeze.
If I have a family member at home who is sick with seasonal flu, should I go to work? Employees who are well but who have an ill family member at home with seasonal flu can go to work as usual. These employees should monitor their health every day, and take everyday precautions including washing their hands often with soap and water, especially after they cough or sneeze. If soap and water are not available, they should use an alcohol-based hand rub. If they become ill, they should notify their supervisor and stay home. Employees who have an underlying medical condition or who are pregnant should call their health care provider for advice, because they might need to receive influenza antiviral drugs to prevent illness.
What is the best technique for washing my hands to avoid getting the flu? Washing your hands often will help protect you from germs. CDC recommends that when you wash your hands -- with soap and warm water -- that you wash for 15 to 20 seconds. When soap and water are not available, alcohol-based disposable hand wipes or gel sanitizers may be used.
How long can influenza virus remain viable on objects (such as books and doorknobs)? Studies have shown that influenza virus can survive on environmental surfaces and can infect a person for 2 to 8 hours after being deposited on the surface.
What surfaces are most likely to be sources of contamination? Germs can be spread when a person touches something that is contaminated with germs and then touches his or her eyes, nose, or mouth. Droplets from a cough or sneeze of an infected person move through the air. Germs can be spread when a person touches respiratory droplets from another person on a surface like a desk, for example, and then touches their own eyes, mouth or nose before washing their hands.
Where Does Our Drinking Water Come From? The City of Grand Prairie purchases most of its water from Dallas and Fort Worth. Of the purchased water, 90% comes from Dallas while the remaining portion comes from Fort Worth and services the northwest portion of town. During most summers, the city has to turn on its groundwater wells to keep up with the demand brought about by warm weather. These wells typically service the areas of town that are within a 1–2 mile radius.
The water that Fort Worth delivers to Grand Prairie is taken from lakes Benbrook, Bridgeport, Eagle Mountain, and Worth and the Cedar Creek and Richland-Chambers Reservoirs. Dallas treats water from the Elm Fork of the Trinity River and lakes Ray Roberts, Lewisville, Grapevine, Ray Hubbard and Tawakoni. Click the below to see a map of these lakes. View Grand Prairie Water Source Map (PDF)
Water Treatment
Since the City of Grand Prairie purchases all of its surface water, we do not have a water treatment plant.
The cities of Dallas and Fort Worth have treatment plants that treat and disinfect water to make it potable.
Food Poisoning or Foodborne Illness (FBI) affects millions of Americans each year. Most cases of Foodborne Illness go unreported due to the infected believing it to be some other ailment, like the flu. The reason for underreporting of foodborne illness is the public’s lack of knowledge on foodborne illness.
How can I lower my risk of foodborne illness? Taking the following six steps can increase food safety in your home:
Check for quality.
- Before purchasing food items, check for quality. Don’t buy food in poor condition. For concerns of improper labeling in Grand Prairie establishments please call 972-237-8055.
- Clean: Wash hands and surfaces often
- Separate: Don't cross-contaminate! Cross-contamination is how bacteria can be spread. When handling raw meat, poultry, seafood and eggs, keep these foods and their juices away from ready-to-eat foods.
- Cook to proper temperature. Food is safely cooked when it reaches a high enough internal temperature to kill the harmful bacteria that cause foodborne illness.
- Chill promptly. Refrigerate foods quickly because cold temperatures slow the growth of harmful bacteria. Keeping a constant refrigerator temperature of 40°F or below is one of the most effective ways to reduce the risk of foodborne illness. Use an appliance thermometer to be sure the temperature is consistently 40°F or below. The freezer temperature should be 0°F or below.
Should I report a foodborne illness?
Report any food poisoning incidents if the food involved came from a restaurant or commercial outlet. Give a detailed, but short account of the incident. If possible include a +72 hour food history. If the food is a commercial product, have it in hand so you can describe it. For concerns of foodborne illness in Grand Prairie establishments call 972-237-8055.
10 Essential Health Tips
- Exercise Periodically
- Eat Healthy Food and Avoid Fatty Meals
- Quit Smoking
- Reduce Stress
- Protect Yourself from Pollution
- Wear Your Seat Belt
- Floss Your Teeth
- Avoid Alcoholic Beverages
- Be Positive
- Avoid Direct Sunlight
Helpful Links by Topic
Allergy (U.S. National Library of Medicine)
Alzheimer’s (Alzheimer's Association)
Asthma (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Atherosclerosis (American Heart Association)
Breast Cancer (National Cancer Institute)
Cholesterol (American Heart Association)
CPR - Step-by-Step Guide (American Red Cross)
Depression (National Institute of Mental Health)
Diabetes (American Diabetes Association)
Digestive System (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
Eye and Vision (U.S. National Library of Medicine)
Headache (U.S. National Library of Medicine)
Heart Disease (American Heart Association)
High Blood Pressure (American Heart Association)
Mental Health (National Institute of Mental Health)
Osteoarthritis (U.S. National Library of Medicine)
Osteoporosis (National Osteoporosis Foundation)
Prostate Cancer (National Cancer Institute)
Rheumatoid Arthritis (U.S. National Library of Medicine)
Skin (Department of Health and Social Care in UK)
Warnings, Recalls, and other Drug Info (U.S. Food and Drug Administration)
The water is stored in gaps in the rock, or between the particles of which the rock is composed. Rock which retains water in this way is called an aquifer.
Rock types that can hold water include chalk, limestone and sandstone. Rock types which do not hold water but can prevent water moving out of a permeable rock type include granite, basalt and mudstone.
Groundwater supplies springs and wells and when there has been a period with little rain, it is often groundwater that maintains flow in rivers rather than surface drainage from land.
A close look at the rocks exposed in road cuts and along streams will show the types of openings in which ground water can occur. Especially noticeable in bedrock exposures are spaces between layers that can extend for miles-the void spaces between rock particles contain water that percolates into these spaces between the layers. In most sand and gravel deposits, water occupies and moves freely within granular material.
Grand Prairie Preventative Care Clinic
1413 Densman St., Grand Prairie, TX 75051
Phone: 214-819-1903 or 972-642-5962
Grand Prairie Preventive Care Clinic provides the citizens of Grand Prairie with immunizations and clinics of TB Medicine, Well Child and Low Birth Weight. The clinic is operated by Dallas County Health and Human Services. The clinic does not provide skin tests. Services provided at the clinic change frequently so please check the Clinic and Immunization Schedule (pdf) or Clinica y Programa de Vacunas (pdf).
Services Offered:
- Immunizations: Services are provided the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Wednesday of each month from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The clinic provides immunizations for children up to 18 years of age. There is a $10 fee for the first visit per child and $5 fee per visit per child after the initial visit. Medicaid recipients are free with valid Medicaid card.
- TB Medicine: Services are provided the 2nd Thursday of each month from 10 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. and the 4th Thursday of the month from 3 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
- Well Child Clinic: Service is available the 2nd Friday of each month from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. This clinic provides physical exams, development assessment, vision, hearing, nutritional counseling, vaccines and blood count for children form birth to 4 years of age.
Grand Prairie Parkland Clinic
801 Conover Drive
Grand Prairie, TX 75051
Phone: 214-266-3400
Hours of Operation: Monday - Thursday 7:30 a.m. – 6 p.m. and Friday 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. Please call for your appointment at 214-266-3400.
The Grand Prairie Parkland Clinic offers high quality and low cost primary care services in the areas of pediatrics, adult, and geriatric medicine to residents of Grand Prairie. Other specialty services such as women's health, dental care, laboratory, and radiology are also available. In addition, the facility operates programs in the areas of psychiatry, psychology, nutrition, and social work. Accepting Insurance, Medicaid, Medicare, CHIP, and offering sliding fee scale.
Community Dental Care
Provides dental services and oral health education to low and moderate-income children, adults, and seniors. The clinic accepts Medicaid, CHIP, and most major insurances. An income-based sliding fee schedule is used for those without insurance based on their income and household size. For additional information and location, please call 214-266-3400.
JPS Health Care Center - Grand Prairie
2737 Sherman Street
Grand Prairie, TX 75051
Phone: 817-702-4800
Hours of Operation: Monday - Friday 8:00 a.m. – 5 p.m.
JPS Health Care Center in Grand Prairie focuses the medical care they provide on the whole family, so you and the people you care about most can get the healthcare they need. JPS medical care services are available to Tarrant County residents. The JPS Health Care Network offers a wide range of healthcare services at each location throughout Tarrant County, from primary care for children and adults to pharmacy. The services are low cost for those that qualify.
The City of Grand Prairie is aware that noise negatively affects human health and well-being. The objective of Grand Prairie’s Noise Program is to abate any noise that may lead to poor environmental health. Complaints of noise from stationary sources (i.e. construction sites, gas/water drilling, industrial machinery, etc.) are investigated by Environmental Quality regarding conformance with Article XIII of the City of Grand Prairie Ordinance.
How can I tell if a noise is dangerous? People differ in their sensitivity to noise. As a general rule, noise may damage your hearing if you have to shout over background noise to make yourself heard, the noise hurts your ears, it makes your ears ring, or you have difficulty hearing for several hours after exposure to the noise.
How do I report noises that are too loud? Concerns of a potential noise violation can be reported to the City of Grand Prairie at 972-237-8055. Offices are open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday-Friday, excluding holidays. Noises concerning moving vehicles can be reported to the City of Grand Prairie Police Department 972-237-8790.
What if my hearing is already damaged? How can I tell?
Hearing loss usually develops over a period of several years. If you have any of these symptoms, you may have nothing more serious than impacted wax or an ear infection, which might be simply corrected. However, it might be hearing loss from noise. In any case, take no chances with noise—the hearing loss it causes is permanent. If you suspect a hearing loss, consult a physician with special training in ear care and hearing disorders (called an otolaryngologist or otologist). This doctor can diagnose your hearing problem and recommend the best way to manage it.
What is wastewater? The sewage or wastewater is conveyed in an extensive underground collection system comprised of piping from your house, your place of business and any other place plumbed to the sanitary sewer.
Sewage is the wastewater released by residences, businesses and industries in the community. It is 99.94% water and only 0.06% solid material. Sewage contains nutrients (such as ammonia and phosphorus), minerals and metals. Sewage treatment is a multi-stage process to treat wastewater before it reenters a body of water, is applied to the land or is reused. The goal is to reduce or remove organic matter, solids, nutrients, disease-causing organisms and other pollutants from wastewater.
Wastewater treatment processes require careful management to ensure the protection of the water body that receives the discharge. Trained and certified treatment plant operators measure and monitor the incoming sewage, the treatment process and the final effluent.
The City of Grand Prairie is part of the Central Regional Wastewater System run by the Trinity River Authority (TRA). All of the wastewater generated in the City runs into the TRA’s collection system to the TRA Central Treatment Plant located at 6500 W. Singleton Blvd. on the edge of Grand Prairie at I-30 and Loop 12. The treatment plant takes in wastewater, treats it, and discharges it to the Trinity River.