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4 <br /> Buffer area was expressly prohibited, except to address a <br /> public purpose or a health hazard, by the County' s Water <br /> and Sewer Policy. They were also informed that municipal <br /> service extensions were expressly discouraged by the Joint <br /> Planning Agreement involving the County, Chapel Hill and <br /> Carrboro. Subsequent efforts on the part of the <br /> homeowners, their attorney and engineer and Environmental <br /> Health staff to resolve the waste treatment problems <br /> focused on locating additional on-site areas which could be <br /> used for nitrification fields and repair areas. <br /> Environmental Health staff tested the soils at many sites <br /> within existing home sites, undeveloped lots and open areas <br /> in the subdivision, and they located several small areas <br /> containing suitable soil. However, the total additional <br /> area containing suitable soils was insufficient to provide <br /> the acreage for nitrification field expansion with repair <br /> area necessary to serve undeveloped lots. The new areas of <br /> suitable soils were also insufficient to provide the <br /> minimum repair area, even when added to existing repair <br /> area, required by regulation for the existing system. <br /> Upon completion of the unsuccessful effort to locate new <br /> nitrification fields and repair areas, the Piney Mountain <br /> homeowners and their consultants focused on investigating. <br /> the feasibility of replacing the existing system with other <br /> on-site waste treatment alternatives. They evaluated the <br /> possibility of utilizing non-discharging spray irrigation <br /> systems and a package waste treatment plant discharging to <br /> Piney Mountain Creek, a tributary of New Hope Creek. The <br /> consultants reported that spray irrigation was not feasible <br /> due to the large area required to provide buffers between <br /> spray fields and homesites, travel ways, wells, etc. The <br /> consultants also informed homeowners that DEM would be <br /> unwilling to issue a permit for discharge of treated wastes <br /> to Piney Mountain Creek. DEM confirmed (see attached DEM <br /> letter) that reported stream flow in Piney Mountain Creek <br /> does not meet DEM regulatory discharge requirements for <br /> minimum natural instream flow in receiving streams. The <br /> homeowners also had their consultants evaluate the <br /> suitability of the soils within the existing nitrification <br /> fields. Their soil scientist reported that seventy to <br /> eighty percent of the area in the existing nitrification <br /> fields was unsuitable for use as a nitrification field by <br /> virtue of one or a combination of unsuitable soils, <br /> insufficient soil depth or slope. His findings were <br /> essentially verified by a soils evaluation performed by <br /> County Environmental Health staff during the week of <br /> December 27, 1993. The Environmental Health staff reported <br /> (copy attached to abstract) that a maximum of thirty-five <br /> percent of the existing nitrification lines are installed <br /> in soils which could be classified as suitable for the <br /> installation. Additionally, the Environmental Health <br /> report noted concerns regarding the large size of the <br /> system that was installed in suitable soils. The report <br />