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5 <br /> Currently, there are pending requests for approximately twenty-four new sewer taps. These taps are for <br /> housing units as yet not built and awaiting funding, planning approval, etc. Recently, there have also <br /> been a number of inquiries related to the potential for extending sewer service to relatively large, <br /> undeveloped parcels of property adjacent to the existing McGowan Creek sewer outfall line. These <br /> projects and any large development project anywhere in the Efland area will be on hold until the Orange- <br /> Alamance Water System is able to resolve its current problems with its insufficient water supply and <br /> treatment capacity. Other current issues related to the Efland sewer system involve the availability and <br /> availability time frame for providing sewer service to central Efland (Phase H and the remaining portion <br /> of Phase 1). Several businesses along Hwy 70 have inquired about sewer service and one has requested <br /> that sewer service be provided immediately by means of tapping into the force main extending from the <br /> McGowan Creek pump station to Hillsborough. <br /> This business, a car wash located on the corner of Efland-Cedar Grove Road and Hwy 70 and owned by <br /> Ben Lloyd, has been operating for approximately five years under a Special Order of Consent(SOC) and <br /> a Notice of Violation(NOV)issued by the NC Division of Environmental Management (DEM). The <br /> SOC and NOV process were tailored specifically to eliminate, over the five year period, the car wash's <br /> non-permitted surface discharge of untreated wash water to the storm drainage system on the car wash <br /> property and adjacent property. During the time frame of the SOC, Mr. Lloyd was apparently waiting for <br /> the County to construct the portion of the gravity sewer collection system(Phase 11)that would serve his <br /> car wash property. The County did not expand the sewer system, Mr. Lloyd's SOC-specified compliance <br /> grace period expired, and DEM filed suit to compel Mr. Lloyd to eliminate the discharge. Mr. Lloyd has <br /> responded by requesting that the County allow him to tap into the force main lying across Hwy 70 from <br /> the car wash. <br /> Orange County staff have met on several occasions with Mr. Lloyd and his engineer to discuss methods <br /> of providing sewer service for the car wash. Mr. Lloyd has repeatedly indicated his preference for a <br /> solution that minimizes his costs. Unarguably, the solution with the lowest cost ($10,000 or less)for Mr. <br /> Lloyd is one which involves installing an on-site, private pumping station with a short run of force main <br /> which would be tapped into the segment of the Efland sewer force main in front of the car wash. This <br /> solution, however, represents potentially the highest cost to the County in a number of ways. The tap <br /> itself requires that a hole be drilled or cut into the force main. The fittings, valves and lines connecting <br /> Mr. Lloyds private pumping station to the force main would remain under constant pressure from either <br /> the on-site or the Efland system pumping station. A failure of the valves or fittings affected by the <br /> pressure created by the Efland system pumping station could possibly result in the discharge of thousands <br /> of gallons of sanitary waste from the Efland system. Mitigation of any environmental consequences, <br /> repair of damages to US 70, etc.,would be the legal and financial responsibility of the County. The <br /> County would also face the task of approving or denying other requests to tap into the force main along <br /> US 70. Allowing taps to be made to the County's Efland force main could conceivably have some <br /> impact, in terms of setting a precedent, on requests to tap other existing and future sewer force mains <br /> within Orange County-those serving the New Hope Elementary School, Piney Mountain and Dogwood <br /> Acres, for example. <br /> 3 <br />