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Comprehensive Plan Sanitary Sewer Sub -Element pipes. In the future, the county's policy should be to continue to install automatic air release valves in all new lines. Service to New Development Through the Utilities Department Wastewater Master Plan, the county has identified main lines that must be installed along major corridors. Unlike other collection lines, "Master Plan" lines usually do not connect directly to a wastewater generator. While master plan lines are paid for by the Utilities Department with revenue from capacity charges and other sources, non -master plan lines are paid from other sources. Besides capital improvements programming and the assessment process, another way to expand the collection system is through the platting and site plan approval requirements of new development. For example, current comprehensive plan policies and land development regulations mandate that each new subdivision within the Urban Service Area connect to the centralized wastewater service system, if the proposed subdivision meets either of the following criteria. • It is within one-quarter of a mile of existing wastewater lines; or • It contains 25 or more lots. For non-residential projects, only those located more than 1/4 mile from the existing system and generating less than 2000 gallons per day are not required to connect to the regional system. Even non-residential projects meeting those requirements must connect if the system expands to within 1/4 mile of the project. Those requirements need to be maintained to ensure that expansion of the regional sanitary sewer system occurs and to ensure that the costs of that expansion are paid by the beneficiaries of the expansion. Even when a development project does not meet the above criteria, the project must connect to the regional sanitary sewer system if the project is deemed unacceptable for septic tank system use due to increased health and groundwater contamination risks. There are several reasons for requiring nearly all new development to connect to the regional system. Those reasons are listed below. • Regional systems are less likely to fail. • Regional systems are better regulated and inspected. • Regional systems provide a higher level of treatment. That higher level of treatment allows the effluent to be reused, rather than injected into the ground where the effluent increases the risk of groundwater contamination. Community Development Department Indian River County 26