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ti 6.2a.~: The Soil Conservation Service recently completed a IODY survey of that portinn~ of Orange County wieich 1zES in the Flaw River drainage basin, inc7-uding the, Cane Creek Reservoir and University Lake watersheds. Rased on this survey, paved and•uupaved roads present a serious potential for sedS.mentat9.on and erosion. _.... zt is estimated that i6 tons of sediment per acre per year erode z"roex the areas along paved roadways and that 8D tons. of sediment per acre per yeax erode from unpaved roadways- Orange County's caatershed management- strategy should include - measures for the control of sedimezitatinn from both paved and unpaved roadways. In this regard, it is recommended that no roads be constructed. within 150 fee4 of the high water marls of public water supply impoundments and that adequate sedimentation an3 erosion control measures be taken to minimize this problem. All roads in t$e Water Quality Critical Area should be paved with. grassed swa:Zes as drainage~aays. b.24.5 , OWASA supports the requirement that new septic tanks and their nitrificat~~on fields be located a minimum of 300 feet from the edge of the water supply impoundment or perennial or intermittent streams.. To reduce the potential for bacteriological contamination, this distance should be even greater than that proposed. ~ .. OWASA has serious concerns regarding the use of-septic tanks in public wai_er supply watersheds and recommends that additional requirements be placed on the use of these systems. Specifically, Y would like to address the need far backwup drainage fields- T.n its tray, 1987. ;.eport to the hoard of Commissioners, th.e Orange Co.~nty !dater Resources 'task ~?area recommended that them be a requirement for a back-up drainage field and that th.s field be identified on the plat and remain in an undisturbed states reserved for future [ -.. use as a drainage field, should the need arise. And, unfortunately, septic 1•• tank system failure in Orange County is not uncommon. O1dASlL supported this recom*_sendation; hnw2ver_, it has not yet been implemented by the County. Continued widespread dependence on xndiviclual septic tanks zn areas within public water supply watersheds where the soils are largely unsuitable, or at least only provisionally suitable, for use as septz.c tang: drainage fields, with no back-up provisi.ors in the evenC tha system malfunctions, is -undesirable and poses a potenl-ially serious public health problem. ide recognize the impracticality of eliminating the utilization of on-site wastewater disposal systems, but we do feel that much more can be done to assure the long-term suitability of the on--site disposal alternative. Specifically, we request that the County consider:- First, the adoption of the back--up drain field provisions as recommended by tha Taslc Force; and second, the establishment o£ a public information and education program eoncerninp, the use and maintenance of septic tank systems. 7 am provi.din,ra you with copies of two documents which describe the importance of septic tank maintenance and the positive impact that water conservation has vn long-term effa.ciency of septic tan!<s. 6.2~:.7 The proposed standards address undisturbed area requirements applicable to the construction process. The standards, however, do not address the need far -. maintaining this land in an undisturbed state on an ongoing basis. ~i -4-