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4 <br />Most of the existing discharging sand filters in the state, <br />including the one at this.mobile home park were not permitted <br />by DEM. which "inherited" jurisdiction over these types of <br />systems. In years past, however, DEM has almost <br />automatically renewed the permits for community sand filter <br />systems and other waste treatment systems discharging into <br />zero flow streams at the five year permit renewal interval. <br />When possible, DEM's current policy is to eliminate community <br />discharging sand filter treatment systems entirely. These <br />systems are being eliminated during the permit renewal <br />procedure or during the enforcement process dealing with <br />flagrant and long - standing violations of permitted effluent <br />discharge standards. DEM is also trying to eliminate <br />discharges to zero flow receiving streams wherever possible. <br />A zero flow stream is defined by DEM as a water course which <br />has zero flow for a minimum of seven consecutive days at <br />least once every ten years. Most water courses in Orange <br />County, including intermittent streams, drainage ditches and <br />many major streams would be considered to be zero flow <br />streams. <br />Apparently. site conditions at the Duke Forest Mobile Home <br />Park rule out any on -site waste treatment system with on -site <br />disposal of effluent. Assuming that the park is to remain <br />open, the two remaining waste treatment alternatives are to <br />install a greatly improved on -site waste treatment system, <br />perhaps a package treatment plant, which would discharge at <br />the current point of discharge or to provide no on -site waste <br />treatment and pump wastes to the existing Durham collection <br />and treatment system. With the City of Durham's collection <br />system located within one - quarter mile of the mobile home <br />park, the most environmentally sound method of waste disposal <br />or treatment and the method preferred by DEM is pumping the <br />park waste to the Durham system. <br />The problem with pumping park sewage to the Durham system is <br />that it requires the owner of the mobile home park to <br />accomplish one of two difficult and potentially impossible <br />tasks. He must either: a) obtain permanent utility easements <br />and temporary construction easements from all the private <br />property owners along the force main route or b) convince <br />some third party, such as Orange County, to assume ownership <br />or maintenance responsibility for the force main so that DOT <br />will allow the line to be installed within the highway right- <br />of-way. Difficulties in obtaining the required easements <br />from the private property owners arise when those owners <br />demand exorbitant sums of money in payment for their <br />easements or when they refuse to sell easements at all. The <br />mobile home park owner, who is a private citizen, does not <br />have the power of eminent domain and cannot compel other <br />property owners to sell their easements at a reasonable <br />price. There are also difficulties in convincing a local <br />