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7 <br /> Frank Clifton said that the long-term implications for Orange County are septic tanks <br /> located in areas accessing or near creeks or streams and storm water runoff regulations could <br /> require sedimentation basins to be developed. He said that he and the Chair had some <br /> extensive meetings on these issues and the parties that have the most at stake are the urbanized <br /> areas that draw their water supply. <br /> Commissioner Hemminger said that she is the UNRBA County Commissioners' <br /> representative and she went to several of the Falls Lake Stakeholder meetings. She said that <br /> Falls Lake water is dirty and there was a lot of discussion about the pollution of this lake. <br /> Commissioner Jacobs said that over the years the Board of Health and the Health <br /> Department have been interested in septic tank monitoring and there was a program that was not <br /> implemented. There was also discussion with OWASA about septic tank monitoring in water <br /> quality critical areas. He asked if anything in that regard had ever happened. <br /> Health Director Rosemary Summers said that the original proposal for septic monitoring <br /> was done in 1999 but there was never any funding to implement this program. <br /> Commissioner Jacobs said that this is a subject that has come up many times at the <br /> TJCOG and there is a difference between the municipal representatives and the county <br /> representatives in that the counties protect the water supplies essentially for free and the bill is <br /> coming due now. OWASA had a very aggressive program of purchasing conservation <br /> easements or protecting lands and it is no longer doing this. He said that there was a comment <br /> from a Durham City Council member at one of the board meetings complaining that Wake County <br /> was asking them to spend a lot of money to protect Wake County's water supply. He pointed out <br /> that Durham has not spent a penny to protect its own water supply in Orange County. He said <br /> that he is intrigued about this notion of a robust and innovative training program, but he wonders <br /> if anyone is going to organize it, insist upon it, negotiate it, or implement it. <br /> Frank Clifton said that the main parties involved in this process see this as a more <br /> productive way to deal with this issue. He thinks that there need to be other methodologies to <br /> deal with this issue on a long-term basis. <br /> Commissioner Jacobs asked if there are negotiations since the State is setting deadlines. <br /> Frank Clifton said that these principles are developed by the parties and not the State. This is <br /> why Orange County is at on the table. <br /> Commissioner Jacobs pointed out that the City of Raleigh has been investing in <br /> protecting land in Orange County to protect its own water supply. This is a model. He does not <br /> think Hillsborough has ever acted to protect its water supply. <br /> Commissioner Yuhasz asked if there is there any real information on the nutrient loading <br /> to surface water for septic tanks. Dave Stancil said that there are estimates from the Division of <br /> Water Quality on a sub-watershed basis but not by jurisdiction. <br /> Commissioner Yuhasz said that it seems that the only thing that can be requested is a <br /> decrease in density in the rural areas. Tom Konsler said that there are technologies available for <br /> nutrient reduction in septic systems, but they are expensive. There are sensitive areas with <br /> shallow soils or reduced setback buffers where nutrient reduction systems can be permitted and <br /> installed. They run about $15-25,000 per household to implement. <br /> Commissioner Yuhasz said that he is concerned that the rural areas of the basin are <br /> charged with a greater responsibility for affecting this problem as some of the urban areas. <br /> A motion was made by Commissioner Hemminger, seconded by Commissioner Pelissier <br /> to approve adopting the "Consensus Principles to Guide Falls Lake Nutrient Management <br /> Strategy" discussed and adopted by the attendees at the February 9, 2010 Triangle Mayors and <br /> Chairs meeting. <br />