Orange County NC Website
15 <br /> ORANGE WATER AND SEWER AUTHORITY <br /> POLICY FOR THE EXTENSION OF WATER AND SEWER LINES OR <br /> CONNECTIONS THERETO IN AREAS WITHIN THE TOWN OF CHAPEL HILL'S <br /> PLANNING JURISDICTION BUT OUTSIDE OF ITS URBAN SERVICES AREA <br /> PURPOSE <br /> This policy sets forth principles and guidelines for the extension of the Orange Water and <br /> Sewer Authority's(OWASA)water and sewer facilities or connections thereto outside of <br /> the Town of Chapel Hill's Urban Services Area. <br /> BACKGROUND <br /> On May 8, 2000,the Chapel Hill Town Council adopted a new Land Use Plan,which included a <br /> contraction of the Urban Services Area south of town. This action resulted in a removal of land <br /> from the Urban.Services Area that had previously been within that area. Although OWASA <br /> does not allow the extension of water and sewer lines outside the Chapel Hill Urban Services <br /> Area, the newly contracted boundary raises the policy question of how to respond to requests for <br /> water/sewer connections to existing utility lines already in place beyond the Urban Services Area <br /> boundary. <br /> On March 5,2001, the Chapel Hill Town Council adopted a resolution endorsing OWASA's <br /> suggestion that water/sewer connections in this area be handled in a manner similar to what has <br /> been implemented since 1987 when all further water/sewer extensions into the University Lake <br /> watershed were prohibited. The OWASA policy delineated below is in response to Chapel Hill's <br /> March 5, 2001 resolution. <br /> POLICY <br /> Consistent with its past practices, OWASA will not permit the extension of water and <br /> sewer facilities for service connections beyond Chapel Hill's Urban Services Area, <br /> except when OWASA determines —in consultation with the Orange County Health <br /> Department—that such extension is necessary to alleviate an adverse public health <br /> condition, as defined below. <br /> No structure may be connected to an OWASA water or sewer line that is within Chapel <br /> Hill's planning jurisdiction but outside the Town's Urban Services Area unless that <br /> structure existed before May 8, 2000 and is located on a lot adjacent to an OWASA water <br /> or sewer line that was installed before May 8, 2000, or unless necessary as note above, to <br /> alleviate an adverse public health condition. <br /> ADVERSE PUBLIC HEALTH CONDITION DEFINED <br /> An "adverse public health condition" exists with respect to a wastewater system when the <br /> wastewater system is documented to be failing by the Orange County Health Department, <br /> and no on-site repair is approvable or recommended by the Health Department. <br />