Orange County NC Website
3 <br /> MEMORANDUM <br /> TO: County Commissioners <br /> John Link, County Manager <br /> FROM: Paul Thames, PE, County Engineer <br /> DATE: July 28, 1997 <br /> SUBJECT: Report on expansion of the Efland Sewer System to serve Boone Mobile Home Park, US <br /> 70 west of Efland and Perry Hills community <br /> In February 1997, County staff and Mr. Ernie McBroom, the new owner of Boone Mobile Home Park, <br /> advised the BOCC that several of the individual septic systems serving some of the homes in the park <br /> were malfunctioning and represented at least a potential public health problem. Mr. McBroom indicated <br /> that he had effected system repairs as directed by the Orange County Environmental Health section but <br /> that the repairs were not expected to be sufficient to serve the park for the long term. Mr. McBroom <br /> asserted that there were only two economical options that would address the problem over the long term: <br /> 1) a sewer collection system could be constructed at the mobile home park and then the collection system <br /> could be tied into the existing and relatively nearby Hancor force main system; or 2)the mobile home <br /> park's residents who were dependent on the failing systems could be compelled to move elsewhere. Mr. <br /> McBroom requested that the BOCC allow him to connect the park to the Hancor force main. The <br /> BOCC directed County staff to evaluate Mr. McBroom's request and report back to the Board with its <br /> findings in March. <br /> At the March 186'meeting of the BOCC, staff presented its evaluation of the situation at Boone Mobile <br /> Home Park and of the related aspects of operating status of the Hancor force main system. On the basis <br /> of. a) existing and ongoing operational problems with the Hancor force main system; b)the County's <br /> tacit understanding with Hancor as to its sole use of the force main; and c)the County's general utility <br /> operation and planning criteria, staff recommended that Boone Mobile Home Park not be allowed to tap <br /> onto the Hancor force main. The BOCC narrowly supported the staff recommendation to deny the tap <br /> but directed staff to develop and evaluate waste treatment alternatives which could alleviate the problem <br /> at the mobile home park. Some of the potential alternatives mentioned at the BOCC meeting and <br /> subsequently examined included: 1) locating areas having soil suitable for on-site waste treatment <br /> systems in obtainable properties adjacent to Boone Mobile Home Park; 2)the expansion of the Efland <br /> sewer system west along Hwy 70 to serve not only Boone Mobile Home Park but also the residents of <br /> the area between Boone and the western end of the existing system; and 3) expansion of the Efland sewer <br /> system to provide sewer service not only to US 70/Boone mobile home park area but the entire Phase VI <br /> (US Hwy 70 west and the Perry Hills area) portion of the Efland sewer master plan. In each of these <br /> potential strategies, the goal was to provide economical sewer service to Boone Mobile Home park and <br /> perhaps to others in the vicinity needing or desiring sewer service. <br /> Each of the alternatives outlined above has now been evaluated to at least a preliminary level. Local on- <br /> site waste treatment, Alternative 1, can essentially be ruled out for two reasons; a)there is a <br /> preponderance of poor soils in areas immediately adjacent to Boone Mobile Home Park; and b)the cost <br />