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[A As indicated in the attached email from former Utilities Department Capital Projects Manager Mike Hotchkiss, there are various issues associated with extending water service outside of the USA. According to Mr. Hotchkiss, those issues range from higher costs to lower water quality. Generally, higher costs result when water systems are designed to provide adequate fire flow in areas without the density to utilize the capacity in the transmission mains and other system components. With lower velocities flowing through mains designed for optimum fire flow, there is more detention time for the water and a deterioration of chlorine residue. The result is poor water quality. To address that problem, the utility department has to flush lines on a regular basis, resulting in a loss of saleable potable water and higher operation and maintenance costs. • Alternatives Although the Urban Service Area has served a valuable function over the last twenty years, the Board of County Commissioners directed staff to evaluate the current County water extension policy with a focus on the 66th Avenue issues. As indicated above, the current policy serves both growth management and utility system expansion purposes. While significant changes to the current policy would limit the function of the USA, there could be additional exemptions which would not affect the integrity of the policy. Since the county's Urban Service Area policies are incorporated in the Comprehensive Plan, any change to those policies would require a Comprehensive Plan Amendment. Procedurally, such an amendment could be submitted in the July application window. Processing the amendment would then take several months. Given that the principal water system expansion issue is whether to allow expansion outside of the Urban Service Area, there are several alternatives available to the Board. Those alternatives are: • No change to the current policy • Allow properties, regardless of geographic location, to connect to the County utility system, • Allow properties abutting or within a specified distance of a County installed water line to connect to the County utility system - No Change to Current County Policy (Option 1) This is a no action option. With this option, the current policies would remain in effect. Because the current policies have been effective, this is an appropriate alternative. The downside to the no action option is that it does not resolve the 66th Avenue issue. While additional water testing may indicate water contamination in the 66`h Avenue area and thereby allow connection to County water, that has not been shown yet. FACommunity Development\Users\CDADMIN\AGENDA\2013\WaterconnectionoutsideUSA 071613.doc 4 166