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Comprehensive Plan Sanitary Sewer Sub -Element growing unincorporated county. Consequently, the county's collection system is constantly evaluated. Within the county's service area, the major collection system problem is low velocity in force mains. In particular, the 24 inch, 20 inch, and 12 inch force mains in the US 1 corridor have low velocities even at peak flows. The low velocity is caused by oversized lines and a lack of wastewater generated. Where the velocity is less than 2 feet/second, solids will settle in pipelines. Settled solids decrease hydraulic capacity. Another problem occurs when a mass of accumulated solids become "unsettled" and reaches a treatment plant in an unexpectedly large concentration. In the past, this situation has resulted in sewage spills. While increased pipeline maintenance is necessary to prevent a reoccurrence of such spills, the recent installation of numerous automatic air release valves has corrected the problem by relieving gases that were preventing the normal flow of sewage through influent 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 %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'/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 Community Development Department Indian River County 29 Appendix A