§ 6-4. Package Treatment Plants.

6-4.1.

State Permit. All proposed package treatment plants shall be approved by the North Carolina Department of Environmental and Natural Resources (NCDENR), prior to construction.

6-4.2.

Contract. When a package treatment plant is approved by the NCDENR, Carteret County shall be provided, prior to any construction, a copy of the draft Operational Agreement or Tri-party Agreement, along with a copy of the permit authorizing construction of the wastewater treatment plant. The Agreement shall specify that ongoing private operation and maintenance of the plant, and provisions to secure sufficient funds beyond the routine operations and maintenance expenses will be provided. The Agreement shall be the agreement as required by the permitting agency for the package treatment plant. The contract shall further provide that the owner/association is responsible for all repair, maintenance and/or replacement of the system. That said contract will provide that the County shall have the option, but is not required, to repair or replace the system and owner and assigns or successors in title shall be responsible to the County for any cost associated with either the repair or replacement of said treatment plant. A Final executed agreement shall be received prior to issuance of the first Certificate of Occupancy.

When a package treatment plant has been designated as a public utility by the North Carolina Utilities Commission and is authorized to provide service to a specific area, a copy of the Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity or a letter from the Public Staff shall be provided to Carteret County prior to construction of the package treatment plant.

Prior to issuance of the first Certificate of Occupancy Carteret County shall be provided with a recorded copy of the Articles of Incorporation, Association Bylaws, and Restrictive Covenants and with proper abandonment plans that address elimination of the package treatment plant when the system owner elects to connect to a central sewer system.

That in addition thereto any owner or developer having a package treatment plant shall have restrictive covenants or a declaration recorded prior to selling any lots, houses, units, structures or allowing any users of the facility that would allow the County to charge the HOA and/or the individual users their proportional share of the repair or replacement cost, should the County repair or replace said treatment plant.

6-4.3.

Notice on Plat. There shall be a notice on the final subdivision plat referencing the Operational Agreement or the Tri-party Agreement and the restrictive covenants.

6-4.4.

Discharge. Package treatment plants shall be prohibited from discharging waste into all wetlands.

6-4.5.

Setbacks. All permitted wastewater disposal areas shall be located greater than 100 feet away from the mean high water line except for high rate infiltration systems, which shall be greater than 200 feet away from the mean high water mark. Lift stations and other collection system components shall be protected from flood waters associated with storm events and wind tides and shall be placed in areas that will not allow contamination of surface waters, wetlands, etc. should an overflow occur.

6-4.6.

Buffer Requirements. In addition to fencing required by the State, there shall be a minimum of a 15 foot wide vegetated buffer to adequately screen the package treatment plant from the view of abutting properties. The vegetative buffer shall contain evergreen shrubs planted in two tiers. Tier 1 being closest to the package treatment plant and shall be the taller of the two and maintained to not exceed the height of the fence. Plants shall be spaced to allow adequate coverage of fenced area based on the natural growth height and spread of plant species. The owner of the package treatment plant shall maintain and manage the vegetative buffer continuously in a healthy state. The vegetative buffer shall be kept off fencing, shall not over hang the fence, and shall allow access for plant and fence maintenance. When a vegetative buffer is deemed inappropriate due to limited lot area, the Enforcement Officer may allow either a durable masonry wall or wooden fence designed to be compatible with the character of adjacent properties, the walls and fences must be at least eight (8) feet in height but not greater than ten (10) feet in height, measured from the ground along the common lot line of adjoining properties. At no time shall the fence placement be permitted to interfere with package treatment plant operation, maintenance or access.

A reduction in vegetative buffers shall be allowed when equipment such as blowers, generators and appropriate electrical equipment is contained in an enclosed building structure that allows for reduction of noise and protects equipment from the corrosive environment. Housing equipment in an enclosed structure will greatly reduce the noise and increase the life expectancy of wastewater treatment system components.

6-4.7.

Salt Tolerant. Due to the corrosive nature of the coastal environment, the construction of the package treatment plant shall consist of materials which are resistant to corrosion and/or have been treated in order to prevent corrosion. In addition to any State requirements, paint coatings on steel plants shall be a minimum of 16 mil and certified by an industrial paint manufacturer to meet the maximum protection for highly corrosive environments for salt spray, intense solar exposure and waste water. A certification shall be provided to Carteret County, prior to issuance of the first Certificate of Occupancy, certifying the paint coatings meet the above requirements.