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23 <br />This group was formed under a directive from the Orange County Board of Health <br />to provide input to the three main, components of the expansion to include gravity <br />flow septic systems in the VVTlVIP framework, The components are education, <br />homeowner incentives and re-inspections. Outlines of the history of the current <br />WIMP initiatives and the expansion were presented to the cxnnmittee for <br />cansidesatian and guidance. Rosie Summers and Ran Holdway fidItated the <br />The impjetus to explore the expansion came from a joint meeting of the Board of <br />Commissioners and the OWASA Board and an ensuing meeting of the Board of <br />Health. All three boards recognize that existing fadurw rates (& 10%) are not <br />likely to improve without action and that centralized wastewater disposal will not <br />be a repair option in many areas of the county in the fareseceble fit=. Failures <br />are cause d by a variety of facto9r% mast notably-poor soils conditions, wetter <br />seasons and individual household water habits To pu vvent premature failures, <br />long tern management must be implemented to extend the usable lives of systems <br />and preeserve repair strategies. Since there are no programs. in place in North <br />Carolina which include managemat for all on-site systems, staff looked at <br />example: from several other localities nationwide with a full <br />management <br />approach in place or under consideration. These localities included Georgetown <br />Divide in Califorrk Ten Towns jurisdiction in New Jersey, Cuyahoga, County in <br />Ohio and??, Jwn, Rhode Island, EPA recommendations were also reviewed <br />for reference, and applicability as well as information fiom state level agencies in <br />North Carolina, Michigan, and Hawaii. <br />After discussion by the. committee, the proposal will be presented to the Board of <br />Health fair action pumm t to NCGS §13oA-39. If apparoved, the <br />8o to the BOCC for ? will then <br />funding consideratio®.. Staff would like for the BOCC to have <br />the putuipoW for this consideration at their December retreat. In the meantime, <br />staff will explorre the posffi'b ty of pig maps of recent septic system repairs <br />both by township and in the OWASA service area. <br />Current wort & <br />The e6t0onal efforts in use in the WTW area, today are by individual contact, <br />printed m?uGerial given at the time of occupancy of new homes, other brochures for <br />existing homes, and the Internet site. Mass mailin are also used, but are not <br />routine- The emphases of the edughanal efforts are to promote and protect public <br />health, pre sme water resources, and eartend the average life of septic systems in . <br />Orange Ca?unty- One of the main facts that must be cotinually emphasized in this <br />effort is that the systems must be viewed by all parties--homeowners, government <br />and private sector contmctors -.as a perpetual utility which must fimction for the <br />life of the house, not just as a stopgap until public sewer arrives. <br />Pa aP7nf10)