BOH Agenda 052720 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Environmental Health Public water supplies, whether a municipal system or public water supply well, are regulated by the North The World Health Organization defines environment, as Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (DEG). it relates to health, as "all the physical, chemical, and bi- Approximately 78% of Orange County populations, ological factors external to a person, and all the related served by community water systems, are served by the behaviors." Environmental health consists of preventing Orange Water and Sewer Authority (OWASA), and ap- or controlling disease, injury, and disability related to the proximately 40%of Orange County community mem- interactions between people and their environment9S. bers are served by private water wells. Private drinking water wells, well siting, permitting, inspections, and Orange County Environmental Health includes: l) onsite water sampling are regulated by the OCHD and carried water protection (subsurface wastewater and private out by the Environmental Health staff. wells), 2) retail food, lodging, and institution inspection, 3) children's environmental health (childcare sanitation The vulnerability of the community was exposed during and lead prevention), 4) public swimming pool sanita- the February 2017 and October 2018 OWASA water cri- tion, and 5)tattoo artist permitting. In addition, Orange ses. Water customers, as well as visitors to Chapel Hill County Environmental Health works closely with part- and Carrboro, were placed under an advisory as a result ner agencies to assist in matters of public sewerage, of a water line break. The break resulted in restaurants public water supply, and indoor air quality. and hotels closing, schools in Chapel Hill and Carrboro Water Protection releasing early, and operations at UNC shutting down. To help support continued delivery of high quality water Drinking Water Quality and infrastructure improvements, a budget increase was The safety of drinking water can be measured in terms approved and adopted by OWASA's Board of Directors of whether Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCL) is met for the July 2018 through June 2019 year. The new bud- for various pollutants present in water that could affect get includes a 2% increase in monthly water and sewer health. MCL standards for drinking water quality are set (wastewater) rates, effective October 2018. A monthly by Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). An MCL is water and wastewater bill for a single-family residence the legal threshold limit on the amount of a substance (using 4,000 gallons each month) will increase $1.41 per that is allowed in public water systems under the Safe month. This is the first monthly rate change at OWASA Drinking Water Act. in over six years. Effective July 2018, system develop- ment fees (one-time fees charged for new connections Figure 27: OWASA Rate Comparison Comparison1� OWASA Rate Residential Monthly Water& Sewer Bills for 4,000 Gal Ions (as of January 2019) 5146 Sim 5100 5W 5 zor sao Sm �` 011 ,,y��' 41 641 ��e 2019 COMMUNITY HEALTH ASSESSMENT 41