A Fountain City Council member has been appointed to the El Paso County Board of Health.

Sam Gieck, 72, was named to the nine-member board by the El Paso County commissioners. He replaced Coreen Toll, who left the board at the end of her term on the Manitou Springs City Council.

Gieck, a retired Colorado Springs firefighter, said he applied for the post to lend a greater voice on the board concerning water contamination issues. Fountain is one of three communities – along with Security and Widefield – most heavily impacted by the discovery of perfluorinated compounds in the Widefield aquifer. The toxic chemicals were used for decades in a firefighting foam at Peterson Air Force Base, as well as in a host of nonstick household goods.

Gieck’s term will run through 2021, when his tenure on the Fountain City Council will end due to term limits.