Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
6 <br />Addendum - Dwelling Units without Indoor Plumbing <br />There is no definitive method available to determine the absolute number of dwelling <br />units in Orange County that lack indoor plumbing. This is due to several factors <br />including: the absence of a systematic residential inspection program countywide; the <br />reluctance of some homeowners to disclose the lack of indoor plumbing due to <br />embarrassment; and the desire of some owners to continue to live in dwelling..units <br />without indoor plumbing. <br />Nevertheless, the 2000 Census data reports that there are approximately 297 dwelling <br />units in the County without indoor plumbing. This number represents .60 percent of the <br />total number of dwelling units in the County - 49,289. It should be noted that in the <br />2000 Census did not ask all households questions about indoor plumbing, instead 1 in 6 <br />households completed the "long" questionnaire that contained questions about <br />plumbing. Further, the Census data does not indicate the exact location of these units. <br />All County Housing Rehabilitation Programs have as a priority the installation of water <br />and sewer systems in units where the plumbing is inadequate. This continues to be a <br />priority, however, due to some program constraints, it is becoming more and more <br />difficult to actually address this unit deficiency efficiently for the following reasons. <br />Pros: 1. Improved health and safety of county residents <br />2. Environmental contamination runoff <br />3. Increased property value <br />Cons: 1. Average well/septic tank system installation costs approximately <br />$10,000-with additional costs necessary for in-house plumbing. For <br />connections to existing water/sewer system that costs can average $2,000 <br />per unit including applicable connection fees. <br />2. Most dwelling units that lack indoor plumbing are severely deteriorated <br />and are costly to repair. Many also require the addition of a room for <br />bathroom facilities. These costs often exceed federal and state program <br />funding limits. In some cases it is considered hazardous work for local <br />contractors. <br />3. In the unincorporated areas, soil availability and suitability for <br />conventional wells and septic systems can be a challenge. <br />4. Some alternatives to conventional septic systems require annual <br />maintenance checks -the costs of which would be a responsibility of <br />the homeowner. <br />5. Connections to existing water/sewer systems create new monthly <br />expenses that can stretch the budget of low-income persons. <br />Notwithstanding, the Housing/Community Development Department continues to <br />prioritize treatment of these dwelling units as financially and structurally feasible. <br />