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HomeMy WebLinkAboutClassification of Soils in New Hanover County for Septic Tank Suitability-1980% k vA CITY COUNCIL Ben B. Halterman, Mayor Margaret Fonvielle, Mayor Pro Rupert Bryan Joseph T. Dunn Luther Jordan Tony Pate William Schwartz Robert G. Cobb, City Manager COUNTY COMMISSIONERS Ellen C. Williams, Chairman Tem Howard Armistead Karen E. Gottovi Jan S. Morgan Claude O'Shields, Jr. George Felix Cooper, County Manager WILMINGTON-NEW HANOVER PLANNING COMMISSION Hamilton E. Hicks, Jr., Chairman Charles Hollis James C. Barker Katherine Hoyt Larry Flowers J. D. Orrell Ernest Fullwood Dan Retchin Louise Gorham Richard Sniffen William B. Farris, Director of Planning LONG RANGE PLANNING STAFF Glenn R. Harbeck, Senior Planner Michael L. Hargett, Staff Planner CAMA-FUNDED PROJECT INTERNS Amy L. Haas Helen M. Hazelton GRAPHICS Lynn Golston and Jeff Jeffords SECRETARIAL Dorothy M. Chavious Appreciation is extended to Jacob Crandall, USDA Soil Conservation Service, and Frank Olive, New Hanover County Health Department, for their able assistance in developing the Classification of Soils. Prepared by: WILMINGTON-NEW HANOVER PLANNING DEPARTMENT The preparation of this document was financed, in part, through a Coastal Area Management Act grant provided by the North Carolina -Coastal Management Program, through Funds provided by the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972, as amended, which is administered by the Office of Coastal Zone Management, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE I. FOREWORD: RELATIONSHIP OF THE SOIL CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM TO THE WILMINGTON-NEW HANOVER LAND USE PLAN UPDATE . . . . . . 1 II. CLASSIFICATION OF SOILS IN NEW HANOVER COUNTY FOR SEPTIC TANK SUITABILITY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • • 2 A. The Problem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 B. Purpose of the Classification System . . . . . . . . . . 2 C. Soil Classes and Definitions . . . . . . . . 2 D. Assignment of Soil Units to Classes . . . . . . . . . 3 E. Rationale for Four Soil Classes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 -F. Limitations of the Classification System . . . . . . . . 5 G. Conclusions . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... . . 5 IfI. INVENTORY AND LOCATION OF CLASS'I AND II SOILS . . . . . . 7 IV. SEPTIC TANKS, LAND DRAINAGE, AND WATER QUALITY . . . . . . . . 13 V. APPENDIX A:'SEPTIC TANK SUITABILITY MAP SAMPLES 16% I. FOREWORD: RELATIONSHIP OF THE SOIL CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM TO THE WILMINGTON-NEW HANOVER LAND USE PLAN UPDATE As part of all land use plan updates prepared under the North Carolina Coastal Area Management Act (CAMA), state guidelines for local planning re- quire that: "An analysis. . .be made of the general suitability of the un- developed lands within the planning area for development." (15 NCAC 7B. 0202(c)) In New Hanover, the suitability of soils for septic tanks is a prime factor in determining the capability of land for development. The Classi- fication of Soils for Septic Tank Suitability was devised to assistin the evaluation of undeveloped lands, as required by CAMA. Using soil map originals provided by the U.S.D.A. Soil Conservation Service, all lands in unincorporated New Hanover County were mapped and classified for septic tank suitability at a scale of l" = 400'. Map samples provided as an appendix to this report are representative of the mapping analysis'performed. In addition to providing a land inventory and evaluation tool for the design of the Future Land Use Plan, the classification system also serves two other important functions (1) It is a public information tool which can aid the developer or prospective homeowner in determining the probability that a given land tract will be conducive to sewage disposal using septic tanks. (2) It is a potential public policy instrument which can be used in the evaluation of proposed land developments by appropriate government reviewing agencies. Thus the Classification of Soils For Septic Tank Suitability can be useful in both the development and implementation of the Future Land Use Plan. II. CLASSIFICATION OF SOILS IN NEW HANOVER COUNTY FOR SEPTIC TANK SUITABILITY A. The Problem In New Hanover County, the suitability and capability of soils for septic tank sewage disposal is a subject of widely varying viewpoints. Differences of opinion have existed not only between developers and reviewing agencies, but also within the private and public sectors themselves. Within the public sector, for example, various classification schemes have been developed by a number of federal, state, and local agencies, each with its own suita- bility rating code. These oftentimes conflicting codes serve as a hindrance to both private and public sector interests. A clear need exists, therefore, for a classification of soils for septic tanks upon which all parties may agree. Ideally, the classification should be responsive to the public health, safety, and general welfare objectives of reviewing agencies, as well as the practical aspects of development within New Hanover County. B. Purpose of the Classification System The purpose of the classification scheme is 'to assist developers and public agencies in determining the probability that any given site will or will not be conducive to system tank disposal methods, at the earliest possible date in the development process. The system is not designed to.supercede on - site soil examinations for permit issuance. C. Soil Classes and Definitions As a result of discussions held during the Fall of 1979 and Spring of 1980 by representatives from the New Hanover County Health Department, United States Department of Agriculture Soil Conservation Service (USDA-SCS), and the Wilmington -New Hanover Planning Department, the following soil suitability classification system for septic tanks was developed: Class I Soils Suitable/slight limitation. Class II Soils Moderate limitation; requires moderate modification and maintenance. Class III Soils Severe limitation; requires extensive modification and intensive maintenance. Class IV Soils- Unsuitable; generally not economically feasible or environmentally.desirable to develop. Definitions in Order of Word or Phrase Used Above -- The following defi- nitions should elp clarify the full meaning and purpose of each of the four proposed classes above: ",su.cta.bte" - The soil unit is capable of both accepting and filtering septic effluent. - 2 - "�stight timitati.on" - The soil unit is capable of accepting septic effluent, but the system installed must account for insufficient fil- tering capabilities of the soil; also any other readily overcome soil limitations. "mode&ate tZmitati.on" - The soil unit can be made capable of both accept- ing and filtering septic effluent, provided that certain modifications are made to either the installed system and/or the natural soil system. Use of such soils for septic tank disposal is deemed suitable, with proper modifications. "moderate mod.ib.icati,on and maintenance" - Alterations to the septic and/or natural soil system, which have limited additional installation costs (relative to Class I) and require little or normal maintenance over the life of the septic system. ",severe tim-ctati.on" - The soil unit, through engineering, can be made capable of accepting and filtering septic effluent, but use of such soils for septic tank disposal has a high probability of failure and is not recommended. "extena.ive modi6 icati.on and .intensive maintenance" - Alterations to the septic and/or soil system, which require relatively elaborate installa- tion methods and costs and/or require frequent maintenance procedures. "unsu,ctabte" - The soil unit, except under the most heavily modified con- ditions, is deemed unsuitable for septic tank use. "geneAaUy not econom,ic.a. y 6e" ibte on envi&onmentaUy desi&a.bte to deve.2op" - The.nature of the modifications necessary to render these soils useful for septic tank use are such that installation and/or maintenance costs would be prohibitive, and damage to the environment excessive. D. Assignment of Soil Units to Classes Class I - Suitable/slight limitation. Ke Kenansville fine sand 371B Kr Kureb sand 79B, 179E La Lakeland sand 78B Nh Newhan fine sand 7 No Norfolk fine sandy loam 352B Rm Rimini sand 724B Wa Wakulla sand 76B - 3 - Class II - Moderate limitation; requires moderate modification and maintenance. Be Ls On Ra Se St Wo Wr Baymeade fine sand Lynchburg fine sand Onslow loamy fine sand Rains fine sandy loam Seagate fine sand Stallings fine sand Woodington fine sandy loam Wrightsboro fine sandy loam 760B, 176B 417 415 847 423, 142 446 814 411 Class III - Severe limitations; requires extensive modification and intensive maintenance. Ba Cr Le Ly Mu Pn To Bayboro loam Craven fine sandy loam Leon soil Lynn Haven fine sand Murville fine sand Pantego loam Torhunta loamy fine sand 860 558E 882, 158 890 831 883 Class IV - Unsuitable. Do Jo Pm Tm Dorovan soils Johnston soils Pamlico Muck Tidal Marsh 94 812 90 892 E. Rationale 'for_Four;Soil Classes A major objective of the classification system. is to provide the best information that can be derived from the general soil survey of New Hanover County, as such information relates to development practices in the County. Experience has shown that sufficient differences exist among the County's twenty-six (26).soil units, to warrant four (4) separate and distinct septic tank suitability classes. The need for four classes can be substantiated from both the private and public perspectives. - 4 - From the private sector perspective, it is known that virtually any ad- verse soil conditions can be overcome through engineering technology. Such engineering designs are not without costs, however, and the developer is generally interested in what these front-end installation costs may be. Ad- ditionally, the prospective home buyer is concerned with the long-term per- formance of the septic system and its associated operation, maintenance and replacement costs. The four -class system attempts to distinguish among those soil units which will have: Minimal installation and maintenance costs (Class I), Moderate installation and maintenance costs (Class II), Excessive installation and maintenance costs (Class III), and Generally prohibitive costs (Class IV). From the public sector perspective, reviewing agencies are primarily interested in considerations of public health and safety, and water quality. The four -class system attempts to rate soil units according to a scale of increasing probabilities for public health and safety problems and water quality contamination. Y The classification system recognizes that, as soil suitability factors decline and maintenance costs increase, the likeli- hood of inadequate upkeep and subsequent system failures also increases. Again, it is felt that sufficient differences exist among the soil units to warrant four classes. F. Limitations of the Classification System The system is limited by the recognized generality of the New Hanover County Soil Survey. While SCS representatives have repeatedly expressed their overall confidence in the level of accuracy of the survey, there is little doubt that great care must be taken not to overextend its capabilities, or ignore its limitations. As stated earlier, there is no substitute for on - site evaluations, and the classification system is not intended to supercede that necessary function. G. Conclusions The classification system is an effort to place all appropriate public reviewing/permitting agencies on the same footing regarding the general suit- ability of soils in New Hanover County for septic tanks. While the actual issuance of permits will undoubtedly remain dependent upon on -site soil in- spections, the differing viewpoints among the many agencies need not continue. 1/ One important diversion from this relationship is the inclusion of several "poor -filtration: soils in Class I That is, some Class I soils have excellent percolation properties but do little to cleanse the septic effluent as it passes through the soil. With proper recognition of the problem, however, and appro- priate separation between the septic field and important surface and subsurface waters, this problem can be overcome. For the classification scheme to become useful and accepted by all parties, it must be cognizant of existing development practices, without sacrificing public health and environmental quality objectives. With the aforementioned precautions, it is felt that the system fulfills both needs. _ _ At its regular meeting on May 27, 1980, the Wilmington -New Hanover.Planning Commission, Subdivision Review Committee commented favorably on the system and directed the Planning Staff to pursue official recognition of the system by other appropriate public agencies. During the Summer of 1980, a complete set of soil map overlays, based upon the classification system, were produced for the unincorporated County (see Appendix A for sample). Since that time, the New Hanover County Planning Department has used the system on an informal basis to aid in the review of development proposals. The Director of the New Hanover.County Health Department has voiced his support for the system on several occasions. The New Hanover County Health Board also recently incor- porated the classification system into a recent amendment to the County`s regu- lations regarding on -site sewage disposal. III. INVENTORY AND LOCATION OF CLASS I AND CLASS II SOILS The'Classification of Soils'For Septic Tank Suitability allows all land areas in New Hanover County to be evaluated for their development potential using on -site sewage disposal systems. This section presents estimates of the amount and location of undeveloped land in unincorporated New Hanover County that is ''suitable (Class I soils) or "acceptable" (Class II Soils) for development using septic tanks. As is apparent from the Classification scheme, these two Classes contain the soil types that Offer the greatest potential for use by septic systems, from both an economic and an environmental perspective. For the purposes of the study, Unincorporated New Hanover County is defined as that land area not located within the City of Wilmington or the Town of Wrightsville Beach, and not located south of Snow Cut. The area south of Snow's Cut is excluded because all privately owned lands in that portion of the County lie within municipal borders, or fall within the extraterritorial jurisdiction of incorporated beach communities. Hence, they are outside the planning area of Wilmington -New Hanover Land Use Plan. Major findings 1. Currently, there are roughly 29,000 acres or over 45 square miles of undeveloped Class I and Class II lands in unincorporated New Hanover County, 2. Approximately 9,000 acres, or 31% of these vacant Class I and II soilsfallwithin a three -mile -wide urban belt around the City, an area experiencing; the most intensive residential development pressures. 3. If only Class I soils are measured, roughly 16,000 acres or 25 square miles ofundevelopedlands considered "suitable" for development using septic tanks may be identified. 4. jOnly about a fourth of all undeveloped Class.1 soils, roughly .3,900 acres, lie within the rapidly urbanizing three -mile -wide belt around the City of Wilmington. Detailed findings. Table l provides a detailed breakdown of the distribution of undeveloped _Class I and II soils in the unincorporated County. Acreages of these vacant "suitable" and "acceptable" soils are presented according to distance from the 1980 Wilmington corporate limits and according to the individual Township in which they lie. (See location map, Figure 1.) The table indicates that in 1980, there are roughly 29,000 acres of undeveloped Class I and II soils in the County. This figure represents the total acreage of these undeveloped soils in the unincorporated County, whether they occur in large tracts or as single vacant lots. -7- Of the County's four townships outside the City of Wilmington, the Cape Fear Township holds nearly 12,000 acres or 40% of the unincorporated County's suitable and acceptable soils. Most of the good soils for septic tanks in this township occur from two to seven miles north of the Wilmington City limits. Miles From Wilmington City Limits TABLE 1 UNDEVELOPED ACREAGES OF COMBINED CLASS I AND CLASS II SOILS BY TOWNSHIP AND DISTANCE FROM WILMINGTON CITY LIMITS UNINCORPORATED NEW HANOVER COUNTY - Mile Inter - Cape Fear Harnett Masonboro Federal Pt. val Totals % o Township Township Township Township All Townships Tot (Acres) (Acres) (Acres) (Acres) (Acres) Acr 0-1 186 980 816 - 1,982 1-2 931 920 919 - 2,770 2-3 1,456 1,585 1,226 - 4,267 3-4 2,036 1,107 904 104 4,151 4-5 1,579 859 362 711 3,511 5-6 1,878 580 ill 763 3,332 6-7 1,962 1,272 36 779 4,049 7-8 978 1,414 - 586 2,978 8-9 487 328 - 602 1,417 9-10 325 85 - 114 524 10-11 22 - - - 22 TOTALS 11,840 9,130 4,374 3,659 29,003 TOWNSHIP :f TOTAL 40% 31% 15% 13% 100% Sources: Wilmington -New Hanover Planning Department Cummula- tive 1 Total ,acme. (Acres) 6 1,982 10 4,752 15 9,019 14 13,170 12 16,681 12 20,013 14 . 24,062 10 27,040 5 28,457 2 28,981 08 29;003 100 29,003 Cummula- tive Percent 6 16 31 45 58 69 83 93 98 99 100 100 Northeast of the City, Harnett Township has about 9,000 acres of vacant Class I and II soils, while in densely populated Masonboro Township to the east and south of the City, only about 4,400 acres of these soils remain undeveloped. That portion of the Federal Point Township lying within the planning area (i.e., lands north of Snow's Cut) has about 3,700 acres of vacant Class I and II soils or 13% of the County total. The majority of these available soils in the Federal Point Township lie west of Route 421. While it is useful to know the total amount of land area that has potential for acceptable development using septic tanks, it is even more important to determine whether these vacant Class I and II soils are located where the demand for residential land is greatest. To accomplish this, a review of recent subdivision activity was conducted. The investigation re- vealed that from 1975 to 1979 approximately 60% of all subdivision lots platted in New Hanover County were located in a relatively compact three- mile -wide band around the City of Wilmington. This "urban belt" accounts for roughly 25% (35,000 acres) of all land in the planning area (132,000 acres). Thus, during the latter half of the 1970's, nearly two-thirds of the identifiable residential land development occurred on only about one- fourth of the land in the planning area. Further research revealed that in 1980 roughly 12,500 or 66% of the unincorporated County's 19,000 existing dwelling units were located in this same urban belt. Recent studies of subarea population growth indicate that further residential development will also occur in this area. Table 1 reveals that there are about 9,000 acres of vacant Class I and II soils within the identified urbanizing belt. It also shows that the available acreage in the belt is evenly distributed among the Cape Fear, Harnett and Masonboro Townships. If Class I soils are measured alone, roughly 16,000 acres or 25 square miles of vacant, "suitable" lands can be identified in the unincorporated County. However, within the three -mile -wide urbanizing belt, only 3,900 acres of these Class I soils remain undeveloped. Table 2 summarizes many of these facts in relation to several other land area statistics. Finally, Table 3 provides information regarding the general distribution of soil units between the incorporated and unincorporated areas of New Hanover County without regard to its developed or undeveloped status. 1/ Wilmington-New.Hanover Comprehensive Planning Program, Land Use Plan Up- date, Population and Economic Growth and Future Land Use Needs, 1980 to 1990, 19$0. - 10 - MY NWsE��as �w SHIP 0 I:1 • NOT IN UNINCORPORATED FIGURE 1 LOCATION MAP NEW HANOVER COUNTY PRUAREC ?Y 'nE V 'NiL: INGTCN-NEW HLNOVER PL:.NNING DEPARTMEN7 197 PLANNING AREA TOWNSHIP LINES TABLE 2 COMPARISON OF LAND AREA STATISTICS, 1980 UNINCORPORATED NEW HANOVER COUNTY Acres Totals Undeveloped Land Only 3-Mile Wide Unincorporated Unincorporated Urbanizing Belt. County County Around City All Lands 99,118 73,030 - (excluding water) Class I Soils 20,158 16,000 3,900 Class II Soils 18,874 13,003 5,119 Class I and II Soils 39,032 29,003 9,019 Residentially Developed, 10,631 - - 1980 Source: Wilmington -New Hanover Planning Department TABLE 3 DISTRIBUTION OF SOILS IN NEW HANOVER COUNTY 1 ACRES OF CLASS I ACRES OF CLASS II INCORPORATED UNINCORPORATED INCORPORATED UNINCORPORATED SOIL UNIT COUNTY -WIDE AREAS L_ N.H. COUNTY SOIL UNIT COUNTY -WIDE AREAS N.H. COUNTY Ke 3,875 238 3,637 Be 6,405 1,745 4.660 Kr 8,337 11039 7,298 Ls 810 29 781 La 2,595 154 2,441 On 2,171 136 2,035 Nh 3,961 1,328 2,633 Ra 682 10 672 No 841 187 654 Se 7,172 1,359 5,813 Rm 1,936 513 1,423 St 1,896 38 1,858 Wa 2,029 370 1,659 Wo 682 15 667 Ku 889 476 413 Wr 1.950 150 11800 TOTALS T4-.M 4� 20, 58 Bh 2,176 1,768 408 Sh 495 315 180 TOTALS TrITT9 I 8T 1_M N ACRES OF. CLASS III ACRES OF CLASS IV INCORPORATED UNINCORPORATED INCORPORATED UNINCORPORATED SOIL UNIT COUNTY -WIDE AREAS 2/ N.H. COUNTY SOIL UNIT COUNTY -WIDE AREAS 2/. N.H. COUNTY Ba 330 0 330 DO 8,766 431 8,335 Cr 8,804 245 8,559 JO 4,426 628 3,798 Le 7,953 1,836 6,117 Pm 958 7 951 Ly 4,767 887 3,880 TM 8,304 1,316 6,988 Mu 14,351 960 13,391 Mp 1,323 0 1,323 Pn 2,182 63 2,119 Bp 110 110 0 To 2,460 206 2,254 Ur 3,936 2,671 =11 265 Lo 1,084 850 234 27,823 '763 , TOTALS T ,33f 7,30R7 36,884 -� Figures in this chart include all soils, whether developed or undeveloped. 2� For planning purposes Incorporated Areas are considered to be the City of Wilmington, the 'Town of Wrightsville Beach, and all lands south of Snows Cut. Source: Wilmington -New Hanover Planning Department, 1980 IV. SEPTIC TANKS, LAND DRAINAGE AND WATER QUALITY This section discusses the relationship between development using septic tanks, land drainage, and water quality. One of the factors used in formu- lating the Classification of Soils in New Hanover County for Septic Tank'Suit- ability is t e degree to which each naturally occurring soil unit must be modified to properly accept and treat septic wastes. Inmost parts of unin- corporated New Hanover County, a high ground water table is a primary impediment to the use of on -site sewage disposal systems. The importance of the depth to the water table in determining soil suitability for septic tanks is reflected in Table 4. Note that the depth to the water table for all Class I soils is in excess of six feet, while Class IV soils, at the poor end of the suitability spectrum, typically have water tables at or above the soil surface during some part of the year. Similarly, the depth to the groundwater table for Class II soils is generally greater than for Class III soils. Exceptions to this rule may occur due to the presence of a hardpan layer, poor percolation, or other factors relating to the proper functioning of septic systems. The most common land management response to a high groundwater table has been to artificially increase the depth to the water -saturated zone of the soil by installing ditches or underground drainage tiles. The drainage systems are also often used to manage excess surface water runoff caused by develop- ment. Through artificial drainage, many of the County's land areas which would normally be considered unsuitable for development, have been rendered capable of accepting development. Such development practices have not been without serious costs to the environment, however. Declines in the quality of the County's estuarine waters, for example, have been closely tied to the development of nearby" land areas. One need only look at the locations of closed shellfishing areas to see the relationship. The continued productivity of the County's coastal ecosystems is dependent upon maintaining the natural quality and salinity of estuarine waters. Y Each time an artificial land drainage system is installed, there is a tendency toward increasing the flow of fresh water into the estuary, thereby altering the natural salinity regime. Following a rainstorm, drainagesystems also. in- crease the speed and volume of fresh water entering the estuary, causing exaggerated peaks and valleys in the saline balance. Surface runnoff, carried directly into the estuary via artificial drainage ditches, loses the opportunity to be cleansed by intervening vegetation and soil. Drainage systems have been shown to contribute significant amounts of bacteria, nutrients, pesticides, and sediments to the estuarine receiving waters. 2/ Wilmington -New Hanover Comprehensive Planning Program, Technical Report #2 Analysis of Existing Land Use, April, 1976,p. 12. Ralph C. Heath, Hydrology of the Albemarle -Pamlico Region of North Carolina; A Preliminary Report on the Immpact of A ricultural Developments, U.S.. Geological Survey Wafer resource DeportMay97�, - 13 - TABLE 4 DEPTH TO GROUNDWATER TABLE BY SEPTIC TANK SUITABILITY SOIL CLASSES Soil Unit Depth to Groundwater Table Class I Ke Greater than 6.0 Kr, Ku Greater than 6.0 La Greater than 6.0 Nh Greater than 6.0 No Greater than 6.0 Rm Greater than 6.0 Wa Greater than 6.0 Class II Be, Bh 4 - 5 Ls 0.5 - 1.5 On 1.5 - 3.0 Ra 0 - 5 S e , S h 1.5 - 2.5 St 1.5 - 2.5 Wo 0.5 - 1.0 Wr 2 - 3 Class III Ba 0 - .5 Cr 2-3 Le, Lo 0 - 1 Ly 0 - 1 Mu 0 - 1 Pn 0 - 1.5 To .5 above surface to 1.5 Class I.V DO Less than 0.5 JO 1.0 above surface to 1.5. Pm 1.0 above surface to 1.0 TM Tidal Marsh Source: United States Department of Agriculture, Soil Conservation Service, Soil Survey of New Hanover County, North Carolina, April, 1977 pp. 65-66 - 14 - In view of these considerations, every effort should be made to give priority to the development of lands having soils which require the least degree of artificial drainage (Class I and II soils). Conversely, lands comprised primarily of Class III and Class IV soils should be discouraged from development using conventional septic systems. - 15 -