Orange County NC Website
-------- 30 <br /> drain field and individual on-site septic tank, pump tank systems. The utility triar ' <br /> will be brought on board will be licensed by the State of North Carolina's Utilities <br /> Commission. The Utility operator will not own the facilities because owning the <br /> facility might be a disadvantage because of the unit's size. It is difficult to sell a <br /> 15 lot subdivision with a maximum utility rating price of $18.00 per month to a utility. <br /> They do not want to bother with the little subdivision. Therefore, they altered the <br /> proposal so that the Homeowners Association would own the drain field and would lease, <br /> in perpetuity with a strong no termination clause, to the Utility. The only way the <br /> Utility Operator can be terminated is by negligence, failure or abandonment of the <br /> project. If this happened, he would have already posted a $10,000 bond, which would be <br /> revoked at that time. A second operator would be brought on to maintain the system. He <br /> indicated that they also believe that it is to the benefit of all subdivision lot owners <br /> to own their own septic tank and systems. However, they intend to build all 15 units <br /> with a Utility Operator overseeing and supplying the equipment. They will not be built <br /> by independent manufacturers supplying whatever is available at the time. They will be <br /> built under a strong specification. Each lot will place a certain amount of money in an <br /> escrow account. This account will be overseen by the Homeowners Association and the <br /> Utility Operator. In the event of system or equipment failure, the money in the account <br /> will be used for repair. The access to the account will be by double signature by the <br /> President of the Homeowners Association and the President of the Utility. He indicated <br /> that they are trying to build in safeguards for residential habitation of this area and <br /> to allow the development of land without the total restriction and abandonment of this <br /> project. He asked if no development is going to occur in the watershed, who is going to <br /> own it and maintain it? <br /> COMMISSIONER HALKIOTIS asked why the central pumping tank would be built of <br /> concrete block? <br /> MR. MORGAN stated that he had built 25 to 30 concrete pumping facilities in Dare <br /> County, Kill Devil Hills and Nags Head. He indicated that 95% of them are 70% below the <br /> water table. He indicated that a full tank in a water table is not going to infiltrate <br /> and exfiltrate. It is hydrostatically balanced. The only time there is an imbalance is <br /> when the water table drops below the level of the tank or the tank is empty. Concrete <br /> block is not impervious to moisture penetration but compound is put on the blocks to <br /> help reduce any moisture and to further waterproof these tanks. He assured the <br /> Commissioners that there would be no interchange between the tanks and the groundwater <br /> table on the outside, unless there is an imbalance. That could be caused by the tank <br /> above the ground being full or the tank empty and below the water table. At that point <br /> he would be most concerned about floating. He stated that precast concrete tanks have a <br /> reputation for leaking which is why they do not use them. <br /> Commissioner Halkiotis stated that a concrete block structure that was built for a <br /> school in this county because of the imbalance came to the surface. <br /> MR. MORGAN indicated that the concrete block tank will be set on a minimum slab of <br /> 12" reinforced. The tank has reinforcing rods, and it is poured and filled with 2500 <br /> pound concrete. Mr. Morgan stated that the structural integrity of a concrete block <br /> will withstand the stress of water, earth pressures, cracking or overburdened to do the <br /> job intended. <br /> MR. BEST questioned whether the difference in the soils at the beach and in Orange <br /> County would have a great impact on the construction and operation of a system, <br /> immesseass <br />