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15 <br />Orange Water and Sewer Authority <br />Comments to Orange County <br />Commissioners and Planning Board <br />August 26, 1991 <br />Page 3 <br />standards generally provide the protection we seek for all <br />streams, the Chatham and Alamance County ordinances do not. <br />Strengthening the statewide minimum would bring the Chatham and <br />Alamance buffer requirements closer to those of Orange County. <br />Although many developers represented by the North Carolina <br />Homebuilders Association claim that the state regulations fail to <br />control agricultural pollution, and many groups favor stricter <br />control of farmers, OWASA believes that the most effective <br />protection from agricultural pollution will come not through <br />regulation, but through voluntary collaboration between farmers <br />and utility providers. During the past six years, OWASA has <br />reimbursed thousands of dollars to Orange County's many <br />conservation minded farmers installing best management practices <br />for cropland and animal waste. We plan to continue this <br />assistance to these front line stewarCs of our watersheds. <br />Nevertheless, OWASA supports the EMC's proposed. requirements <br />governing certain agricultural practices in water supply <br />watersheds. Furthermore, we believe that the rule requiring <br />vegetated buffers of at least ten feet around all agricultural <br />activities and requiring special BMPs for animal operations <br />greater than 100 animal units should apply to perennial waters <br />throughout WS —II watersheds, and not just within the one mile <br />Critical Area. Watersheds such as University Lake and Cane Cree'� <br />typically include agricultural activities that may be siun1fica7- <br />pollution sources, and need to be regulated accordingly. Cattle <br />manure does not belong in our drinking water supplies. OWASA <br />will work cooperatively with Orange County's farmers to eliminate <br />this pollution. <br />OWASA appreciates the opportunity to provide input as you prepare <br />Your comments to the Environmental Management Commission. Please <br />feel free to contact our staff for any further information. <br />