1989-06-26 Water & Sewer PH
PUBLIC HEARING OF WATER AND SEWER DISTRICT
JUNE 26, 1989
ASSEMBLY
The New Hanover County Water and Sewer District
Commissioners held a Public Hearing on June 26, 1989, at
7:30 o'clock P.M. in the Gym of Laney High School. The
following District Commissioners and staff were present:
District Commissioners E. L. Mathews, Jr.; Nolan
O'Neal; Fred Retchin; Vice Chairman, W. Albert Corbett, Jr.;
Lucie F. Harrell, Clerk, Robert S. Parker, Health Director.
Vice Chairman Corbett opened the Public Hearing
welcoming the guest speakers and all persons present. He
stated the purpose of the meeting is to hear presentations
from representatives of the New Hanover County Health
Department and North Carolina Division of Health Services
with a question and answer period after the presentations.
PRESENTATIONS FROM GUEST SPEAKERS
Discussion of State Septic Tank Regulations
Dr. Robert Uebler, Soils Scientist from the Division of
Health Services, stated the purpose of state regulations
governing the issuance of septic tank permits is to protect
public health. When designing a sewer disposal system, the
following problems are considered: (1) water tables, (2)
texture, (3) mineralogy; (4) structure of soils; (5) depth
of soils; and (6) restrictive horizons such as layers of
asphalt or concrete as well as natural layers which restrict
the flow of sewage. He stated due to poor soils in New
Hanover County, the State is reviewing a large number of
alternatives with drainage being the primary method
currently under study.
Discussion of Alternative Systems
Mr. Steve Steinbeck, Manager of the On-Site Sewer
Program for the Division of Health Services, stated goals of
the program are to provide a safe and sanitary means of
taking care of our human waste by providing a safe and
sanitary cost effective on-site sewerage treatment disposal
system. Mr. Steinbeck commented inspecting all types of
soils in New Hanover County stating the soils are very poor
for disposal systems.
Vice-Chairman Corbett stated the citizens from Castle
Hayne are interested alternative measures and requested Mr.
Steinbeck to discuss a few methods being used throughout the
County and State.
Mr. Steinbeck presented the following al terna ti ves to
septic tank systems: (1) the modified conventional on-site
system which includes shallow placement, drainage, dual
drain fields, gravel, tube systems, and permeable forced
panel block systems; cluster off-site systems; and the low
pressure pipe system which required a certain type of soil.
Vice Chairman Corbett asked if anyone from the general
public wished to speak. Several members of the audience
asked questions as follows:
Question: What type of management do public package
treatment plants require?
Answer: Mr. Steinbeck stated public treatment plants are
viable if a public management entity is available to
maintain the facility.
Question: Why can't I be issued a septic tank permit when
lots around my property are approved for septic tanks and
are functioning well?
Answer: Mr. Steinbeck stated he is familiar with the
property being questioned stating due to the lot being in a
low lying area and previous landfill, the land will not
perk. He stated the State Appeal Hearing the Judge
declared the land unsuitable.
Question: What are the proposed rules for utilizing fill?
Answer: Mr. Steinbeck stated "fill" is the material placed
on a lot with severe soil limitations to allow an area where
the septic tank disposal system can be located. He stated
pre-existing silt covers many areas of the coast where
people desire to build, and the State is now considering the
following proposals to offer some form of relief in these
situations:
Legislative proposal - An amendment proposed in House
Bill 268 which would provide that the State Commission for
Health Services adopt rules to address existing fill
conditions, particularly those sites where the fill is three
feet thick as a sand or loamy sand protector, and does not
have a water table problem within three feet of the fill
surface and also the fill being placed prior to July 1,
1977.
Health Services Proposed Rules Options are as
follows: on existing fill sites - under the current proposal
if you have four feet of loamy sand, a water table which can
be kept eighteen inches above the fresh bottom, a low
pressure pipe system, and the fill was in place prior to
July 1, 1977. The rules now allow fill on any property
except for wetlands, but it does not mean that an old fill
can be used. It means a naturally occurring soil of at
least one foot with all the parameters met, can be filled.
Proposed New Fill site Rules - (1) you must have 18 inches
of useable soil or protective structure consistent thereof;
and (2) you must have at least one foot year around to the
water table, then it can be filled provided silt fill
material, basically loamy sand is used.
Question: Why
sewer systems.
not require mandatory maintenance of
Maintenance has been totally ignored.
all
Answer: Mr. Steinbeck stated that the laws are in place
and the rules are being drafted to address the maintenance
problem.
Question: What do I do when my land doesn't perk?
Dr. Uebler stated after the Sanitarian has looked at
the property the first line of approach is to request the
Health Department Sanitarian's supervisor or the soil
specialist to take a second look and develop another
opinion. If his opinion agrees with the first one, and you
do not feel this is correct, then request through the HealtW
Department that I or another representative of the State
Department of Health Services come out to see if we concur
or disagree with the ruling. If you still do not agree with
the evaluation, your approach would be to find a private
consultant to come up with evidence that contradicts what
has been said. Then you may appeal the results.
Question: What process is used when a developer presents a
site plan?
Answer: Diane Harvell stated that the Health Department
staff does general preliminary evaluations in the very early
stages of the proposed development with the property owner.
The staff tries to address the options that are available
when the preliminary investigations are performed.
Dr. Uebler stated there are large numbers of different
private organizations and consultants that do soil
investigations and evaluations for developers. If one
desires specific, detailed, lot by lot, area by area
evaluations, they need to consider a private consultant.
Question: Why doesn't the Health
alternatives when soils are undesirable
Department
offer
Answer: Dr. Uebler stated the Health Department cannot
offer alternatives in many cases and have found that some of
the alternative systems in New Hanover County were found to
be failing in less than five years. He stated more research
needs to be done and the legislature is looking at funding
projects to try to find new and different alternatives and
methodology for improving existing alternatives.
Question: Vice Chairman Corbett asked if there is anything
being done in other areas such as north Florida and Virginia
that we should be getting input from?
Answer: Dr. Uebler stated at an interstate conference
hosted in Wilmington he found that many alternatives being
used in our state are not being offered in the other states.
Dr. Uebler stated there is a need for
powered alternative; however, with the
technology comes the increase in cost.
a more high
increase in
Question: Why can't the state lessen restrictions on
regulations governing the issuance of septic tank permits?
Answer: Dr. Uebler stated a survey was performed in Orange
County which showed that the rate of failure was
substantially reduced as a result of improvement in septic
tank regulations; therefore, the state must be strict enough
to protect the citizens against malfunction of disposal
systems.
Question: Why can't property owners in Castle Hayne receive
a septic tank permit for 10 to 15 years until the
county-wide Sewer System becomes available?
Answer: Dr. Uebler stated this method has been attempted
with the creation of real problems for persons living in
dwellings with malfunctioning disposal systems.
Vice Chairman Corbet"c. thanked Dr. Uebler, Mr.
Steinbeck, the Health Department Staff, and citizens who
participated in the Public Hearing for sharing their
opinions.
Health Director, Mr. Robert Parker, stated the
Environmental Staff of the Health Department has a
commitment to you when testing your property, and that is to
do everything possible within the rules and regulations to
find a system that will work on your property without
polluting the ground water with sewer seepage. If the
sanitarian inspecting your lot cannot find an alternative,
they will request another sanitarian I to give a second
opinion and call in Dr. Uebler if necessary.
Vice Chairman Corbett closed the Public Hearing at 9:30
P.M.
~e ~ctfUllY sJPmitted,
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L cie F. Harrell
Clerk to the District