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Orange Water and Sewer Authority 3 <br /> 400 Jones Ferry Road <br /> OWASA P.O. Box 366 <br /> Carrboro, NC 27510 <br /> (919) 968-4421 <br /> August 8, 1997 <br /> William L. Crowther, Chairman <br /> County of Orange <br /> 200 South Cameron <br /> Post Office Box 8181 <br /> Hillsborough,NC 27278 <br /> Dear Chairman Crowther: <br /> The OWASA Board will discuss proposed revisions to the University Lake water and sewer <br /> extension policy at its August 14 meeting, although no action is contemplated until September <br /> 25. A copy of our agenda item is attached so that you may bring it to your Board's attention. <br /> The need to change OWASA's existing policy has been highlighted recently by a petition from <br /> homeowners in the Brookfield subdivision for an extension of OWASA sewer service to remedy <br /> seriously failing septic systems in the University Lake watershed. Our recently completed <br /> Unsewered Area Study assigned the highest priority ranking in OWASA's entire service area to <br /> this neighborhood, so there is little question of the need for service at failing sites. <br /> OWASA's existing policy for University Lake provides little or no guidance regarding additional <br /> properties that may or may not be included in an assessment project, and the attached draft would <br /> provide such guidance while imposing strict limits on the extent of an extension project. The <br /> proposed revisions would clarify the following: <br /> • That, as a matter of policy, the extension of OWASA service is not intended to facilitate <br /> the development of undevelopable land in the University Lake watershed. <br /> • That extension projects in the watershed may be initiated by the OWASA Board of <br /> Directors as well as by property owners, but that such projects be strictly delineated as <br /> described in the attachments. <br /> For example, service would not be available to any undeveloped lots created after April 23, 1987 <br /> (the date of OWASA's original moratorium on extensions to the watershed). Undeveloped lots <br /> created before that date could be included in an OWASA project and allowed to connect only if <br /> they could be permitted for an on-site system by the Health Department. In other words,no <br /> property that was otherwise undevelopable due to site and soil limitations would be made <br /> developable by the extension project. <br /> An Equal Opportunity Employer <br />