Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
e. Approve DesigntBuild Option far the Northern Human Services Center <br />Wastewater Treatment System <br />The Board received and considered updated information on wastewater treatment <br />system design options and related costs to serve the Northern Human Services Center at Cedar <br />Grove, and authorized the Staff to move forward with the project. <br />County Engineer Paul Thames said that they are asking the Board to approve a process <br />for developing a wastewater treatment system for the Northern Human Services Center that <br />involves staff design, use of wastewater treatment technology that has been approved in North <br />Carolina, and the use of the Vincent Tract purchased far this purpose to locate the nitrification <br />field. He gave the history of this project. Innovate Design was originally hired as a consultant to <br />make some recommendations on a wastewater treatment system by involving a treatment <br />component called a Living Machine. Last week they learned that the representatives from <br />Living Machine were no longer interested in participating in the project. <br />The alternative to the Living Machine is a 6,000-gallon per day septic and secondary <br />treatment system that is of excellent quality. <br />Commissioner Carey commended the staff for getting to this paint. This project should <br />move ahead. <br />Commissioner Gordon asked if this system was the best solution and Paul Thames said <br />yes, in his professional judgment, it was the best. <br />Paul Thames answered several clarifying questions of the County Commissioners. <br />Commissioner Brown pointed out that the soccer fields could use this system. She also <br />said that Pam Jones has done an excellent job with the interior design of this facility. <br />A motion was made by Commissioner Carey, seconded by Commissioner Brown to <br />authorize staff to move forward with adesign/build option for the wastewater treatment system <br />at Northern that features a 6,000-gpd septic and secondary treatment system with subsurface <br />disposal on the Uincent property utilizing aState-approved secondary treatment technology <br />{such as Orenca AdvanTex). <br />UOTE: UNANIMOUS <br />10. Reports <br />a. Status Report -Jordan Lake Stakeholder Protect/Nutrient Management <br />Strategy <br />The Board received a report on the ongoing Jordan Lake Stakeholder Project, which will <br />yield a proposed Nutrient Management Strategy for the lake in late 2004. <br />Dave Stancil said that the staff wanted to make the Board aware of new rules related to <br />Jordan Lake Watershed. He showed a map of the 1,700 square miles of the Jordan Lake <br />watershed. He said that over the last year and a half, it has become apparent that the nutrient <br />loading is getting to the point where there has been a lot of algae growth and high levels of <br />chlorophyll. As a result, there are some new rules. There is now a total maximum daily load <br />rule that will be implemented after the first of the year by the Environmental Management <br />Commission. The Division of Water Quality is just now developing recommendations far haw <br />this might work. The proposal that is being considered is a reduction of 5% in total <br />phosphorous and 35°~ in total nitrogen. This is a substantial impact. <br />Some of the proposals by the Division of Water Quality include increased buffers along <br />streams in the Upper New Hope arm of Cape Fear and Jordan Lake. Agricultural operations will <br />be asked to adopt new plans that will meet these reductions. The plan is that committees will <br />be formed that will develop new best management practices for agricultural operations and that <br />they will be implemented through voluntary measures. If they fail to do so in five years, the <br />practices could be mandated. Also, phase II of the storm water program was approved by the <br />Environmental Management Commission a few years ago and has been tied up in legislative <br />discussion. Phase II storm water rules will now be applicable to Orange County. There may be <br />