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Comprehensive Plan <br />Sanitary Sewer Sub -Element <br />expansion. Even when a development project does not meet the above "criteria, the project must <br />connect to the. regional sanitary sewer system if the project is deemed unacceptable for septic <br />tank system use due to increased health and groundwater contamination risks. <br />There are several reasons for requiring nearly all new development to connect to the regional <br />system. Those reasons are listed below. <br />• Regional systems are less likely to fail. <br />• Regional systems are better regulated and inspected. <br />• Regional systems provide a higher level of treatment. That higher level of treatment <br />allows the effluent to be reused, rather than injected into the ground where the effluent <br />increases the risk of groundwater contamination. <br />• Regional systems are economically more efficient to build and operate, but only if all <br />new development connects to the system. <br />Septic Tla�Systems <br />Between 4#9-5-2007 and 20016, 7,239 .1,217 new septics sy tems X <br />(average of 8121 per <br />year) were permitted. Additionally_ during that time period 5,919 septic systems were repaired <br />typically requiring a drainfield replacement. withia'the eeu <br />Generally, septic —systems are a potential source of groundwater and surface water <br />contamination, especially in areas where they, are densely concentrated,, aAd the water table is <br />high 'arid waterbody setbacks are less than 75 feet. According to thDOH-Indian River, <br />there have been are many cases of wells and surface waters <br />being contaminated from septic system <br />discharges. As indicated in Table 3.A.5, septic tars s_�effluent is of poor.quality by today's <br />wastewater treatment standards. Consequently, effluent discharges can cause , detrimental <br />in in nitrogen, chloride, sodium, other ions, total dissolved solids, and the microbiological <br />levels of the local groundwater. <br />Community Development Department <br />Indian River County 30. <br />Appendix A <br />