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ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br /> A RESOLUTION DIRECTING THE PLANNING STAFF TO EXPLORE MEANS BY <br /> WHICH TO DETERMINE EFFECTS OF CERTAIN SEPTIC SYSTEMS ON WATER <br /> SUPPLY RESERVOIRS <br /> WHEREAS Orange County has demonstrated a commitment to protect <br /> drinking water supplies by adopting watershed protection standards <br /> which in many aspects exceed minimum standards required by the <br /> Division of Environmental Management; and <br /> WHEREAS the standards adopted by Orange County require that new <br /> septic system drainfields be located at least 300 feet from <br /> reservoirs, and that buildings be located at least 150 feet from <br /> reservoirs; and <br /> WHEREAS the Orange County Board of Commissioners, in recognition <br /> that these setback requirements may pose a hardship on development <br /> of existing lots, has approved an amendment to the Zoning Ordinance <br /> which would provide an administrative procedure for consideration <br /> of a reduction in setback requirements on existing lots when <br /> specific criteria are met, and <br /> WHEREAS the Orange Water and Sewer Authority staff had recommended <br /> that those criteria include a provision that administrative <br /> reduction of septic system setbacks adjacent to a reservoir not be <br /> allowed in situations where water quality problems were present in <br /> the reservoir which could be attributed to a failing septic system <br /> within 300 feet of the reservoir; and <br /> WHEREAS the staffs of the Orange County Planning Department, <br /> Orange County Environmental Health and Orange Water and Sewer <br /> Authority have concluded that a baseline level of coliform within <br /> a reservoir is needed to determine if water quality has been <br /> impaired due to the failure of a septic system within 300 feet of <br /> the reservoir; and <br /> WHEREAS there are no baseline coliform levels established for <br /> University Lake, Cane Creek Reservoir, Lake Orange or Corporation <br /> Lake; and <br /> WHEREAS the amendment provision recommended by OWASA staff has not <br /> been adopted by Orange County due to the lack of information <br /> available by which to determine if a failing septic system has <br /> affected water quality in the reservoir; <br /> NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Orange County Board of <br /> Commissioners hereby directs the Planning Staff Environmental <br /> Health and the County Engineer to continue to explore possible <br /> means, including but not limited to the feasibility of measuring of <br /> baseline coliform levels, by which to determine if a malfunctioning <br /> septic system within 300 feet of a water supply reservoir has <br />