Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Land Use Planning topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
County accepts preliminary plats; commissioners press sewer district and developers on water-softener/backwash rules
Summary
The county approved preliminary plats for Oak Ridge and a one-lot Carlos Township parcel and discussed water-quality concerns tied to softener backwash and PFAS; commissioners asked staff and sewer district representatives to return for a work session on implementing salt-free or on-site backwash requirements.
Douglas County planning staff presented two preliminary plats and the board approved them after discussion that included water-quality concerns.
Planning staff said the Oak Ridge (first edition) plat rearranges and enlarges lots from an earlier plat and recommended approval. The board accepted the preliminary plat by motion.
The second item was a one-lot preliminary plat in Carlos Township for a larger back-lot parcel where the owner intends to add a storage building; because the lot lies within the residential sewer district, planning staff said a sewer stub will be required and the property could be used for a dwelling if that standard is met.
Chair emphasized broader water-quality issues and urged requiring either salt-free water softeners or an on-site discharge for backwash water for new construction, saying repeated new development without controls will worsen local water problems. Planning staff replied that such a requirement is not currently in county ordinance and that the sewer district had been asked previously to add the regulation to its bylaws but did not. Staff recommended asking sewer district representatives or staff (e.g., Gilbertson) to come to a work session to discuss implementation and compliance with state permit requirements.
Commissioners discussed PFAS and the limits of sanitary sewer solutions, noting planned central sewer expansions change volumes and pathways for discharge into regional lakes. Planning staff said the county can consider requirements in coordination with the sewer district and referred the matter to a future work session for further action.
