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PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO ORANGE COUNTY ZONING 113 <br /> ORDINANCE <br /> (Public Hearing - August 23, 1993) <br /> 4.2..27 WATERSHED PROTECTION OVERLAY DISTRICTS <br /> a) Intent <br /> The purpose of the Protected Watershed Overlay Districts is to prevent <br /> significant future water quality deterioration in existing or potential future <br /> drinking water reservoirs into which receive stormwater runoff from land <br /> within Orange County. Protection of all water supplies within the State <br /> in accordance with minimum standards was mandated by the Watersupply <br /> Watershed Protection Act passed by the General Assembly in 1989. The <br /> quality of water in drinking water reservoirs can be affected by activities <br /> of man including farming,construction of highways and roads, subdivision <br /> development, industrial development, and other land-disturbing activities. <br /> Types of water pollutants resulting from these activities include sediment, <br /> bacterial contamination, heavy metals, synthetic organic compounds and <br /> low-level radioactivity. <br /> The intent of the Protected Watershed Overlay Districts is to apply a set <br /> of regulations involving land use and in some cases, structural best <br /> management practices which protect the watersheds by reducing the <br /> pollution from future development which enters drinking water supplies. <br /> Land use management practices involve minimum lot size and impervious <br /> surface restrictions, since impervious surfaces such as roads, roof tops and <br /> driveways are a major source of pollution. Structural best management <br /> practices allow for more intensive land use by providing for temporary <br /> detention of stormwater runoff so that pollutants may settle. <br /> b) Application Criteria <br /> The Protected Watershed Overlay Districts as established in Article <br /> 4.27.2.1 overlay other zoning districts established in this Ordinance. The <br /> new use of any land or new structure within any Protected Watershed <br /> Overlay District shall comply with the use regulations applicable to the <br /> underlying zoning district as well as the requirements of the applicable <br /> Watershed Protection Overlay District. <br /> A Watershed Protection Overlay District will be applied to the Orange <br /> County portion of watershed which have been classified as WS-II, WS-III <br /> or WS-IV watersheds by the North Carolina Environmental Management <br /> Commission in its implementation of the Watersupply Watershed <br /> Protection Act of 1989. In accordance with the State Mandate, ten (10) <br /> Watershed Protection District Overlays, as listed in the following table, <br /> are hereby established. <br />