Agenda - Council - 03/10/2015 - Laserfiche WebLink

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of the county or adjacent township(s) or through an orderly annexation agreement or similar mechanism to provide for staged, orderly growth in the surrounding area. - The community has adequate water supply. - The community has adequate transportation access. - The community lies within the long-term wastewater service area or other regional benefits would result, such as economic development unique to the rural area or preservation of high-value water resources. - There are feasible and economical options for siting and permitting an expanded wastewater treatment plant, or for extending interceptor service. - The Council has sought customer input, has conducted appropriate financial analysis, and has conducted a public hearing on the community's wastewater service request. • Require that, if the most economical and beneficial wastewater service option is to construct a regional interceptor to serve the community, the Council will not acquire the community's wastewater treatment plant, and the community will be responsible for decommissioning its treatment plant. • Not allow connections to the regional wastewater system outside the sewered rural community. The Council may construct capacity to serve the long-term needs of the rural and agricultural planning areas, but will not provide service until the Council, in consultation with the appropriate community, designates the area as a developing community and the community amends its comprehensive plan accordingly. • Preserve areas outside the Long -Term Wastewater Service Area for agricultural and rural uses, while protecting significant natural resources, supporting groundwater recharge, protecting source water quality, and allowing limited unsewered development. Use of Private Wastewater Systems There are more than 75,000 subsurface sewage treatment systems and many more community systems in the metro area. Cities and townships located within the rural area have allowed higher density development using community systems that are permitted by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. Both individual and community systems largely serve the parts of the region where wastewater collection and treatment is not available. The Council's intent is to work with communities to ensure that individual and community systems do not cause water quality problems. Policy on Private Wastewater Systems: Communities that permit the construction and operation of subsurface sewage treatment systems and other private wastewater treatment systems within their communities are responsible for ensuring that these systems are installed, maintained, managed, and regulated consistent with Minnesota Pollution Control Agency rules. The Council will not provide financial support to assist communities if these systems fail. Implementation Strategies: • The Council will use its review authority for local comprehensive plans to ensure that communities fulfill their current and future obligations regarding subsurface sewage treatment systems and other private wastewater systems. 20