Dozens of air quality sensors to give a clear picture of pollution in Davis County

CLEARFIELD — The Davis County Health Department is installing 41 air quality sensors across the county to give people a better idea of what's happening in their specific area.

The sensors, made by a company called Tellus, start at about $300 each and only need an internet connection to start sharing data in real-time.

"It's not quite as advanced as the monitors the state used," Randy Olson, the county's deputy director of environmental health, said. "But those are also very expensive. This is a more affordable option that we were able to purchase a bunch of these and distribute them throughout the county."

Managers at the Davis County Health Department wanted to find an option that is more reliable and accurate than the cheaper air quality sensors people typically buy online and less expensive than the systems used by the state. So far, about 25 of the Tellus sensors are up and running. The devices work together to create a countywide heat map of air quality.

The map is available to the public through the health department's website. Users can zoom in on specific sensors that are closer to where they live or plan to spend time. Sensor data statewide can also be accessed via Tellus's Air View app.

"Knowledge is power, and that's what this is intended to do," Brian Hatch, director of the Davis County Health Department, said. "You can log in or go to the website and look to see what the real-time air monitoring is, or what's happening in your area to make an informed decision."

Over time, Hatch added, the health department will be able to monitor different pollution sources in specific areas, like dust from gravel or the bed of the Great Salt Lake.

"Public health can now start looking at the data and make plans for very localized areas to make changes there," Hatch said.

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