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Orange County Watershed Protection, <br /> February 17, 1994 <br /> Page 2 <br /> Board's position represents a reasonable balance between the stringent regulations currently in <br /> place and the more permissive rollback proposed by the County. I recommend that the <br /> Authority's November 1993 position be reaffirmed for the University Lake and Cane Creek <br /> watersheds. \ <br /> OFFSiTE EASEIV�N'r5 FOR SEMC SYSTEMS 7K <br /> Ex:'stfng: Except to correct a failing system, current County regulations prohibit the use of offsite <br /> septic system easements in all Orange County water supply watersheds. That is, no portion of an <br /> individual septic system may be located on a separate piece of property. This restriction has been <br /> in effect in the University Lake watershed for several years, but was not applied to the County's <br /> other water supply watersheds until recent changes were.adopted in December 1993. Although no <br /> comments were addressed to this issue during last year's public hearings, the County received two <br /> letters of opposition after the hearing record was closed. <br /> Proposed. The proposed amendment would allow the use of offsite septic system easements in all <br /> areas except the University Lake watershed; i.e., this issue would return to its pre-December <br /> 1993 status. <br /> Rationale for the Proposal• Given the lack of specific attention given to this issue either by the <br /> public or the County Commissioners during lengthy deliberations over the complex and <br /> comprehensive watershed protection matters, the County desires to revisit the issue and clarify its <br /> intent. <br /> Orange County Health Department staff have indicated that the prohibition of individual off-site <br /> easements would not enhance water quality, but that allowing such easements could be beneficial <br /> in some cases due to greater discretion in locating and designing septic systems. Health <br /> Department staff suggested that maintenance problems would more likely be reported for <br /> drainfields located on offsite easements than on a resident's own property. County staff also state <br /> that the current prohibition of offsite easements tends to foster the creation of lots with very <br /> irregular shapes and to inhibit more creative subdivision design, such as cluster developments. <br /> OWASA Staff Comments: This issue has not been the focus of previous comments by the <br /> Authority. In 1989 OWASA did oppose a subdivision proposed for the University Lake <br /> watershed that would have relied extensively on offsite septic system easements, but this was only <br /> one of several points of the Authority's opposition. OWASA's 1993 statements to the County <br /> Commissioners recommended that the overall level of watershed protection for Cane Creek should <br /> be equivalent to what was already in place for University Lake, but the specific item of offsite <br /> septic easements was not addressed. <br /> I believe that there is merit to County staff suggestions that offsite easements may offer more <br /> flexibility in optimizing septic system design and subdivision configuration. I disagree, however, <br /> with the suggestion that failing systems arc more likely to be corrected when those systems are <br />