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VIII. Alternative Methods for Stormwater Runoff <br />Quality Control <br />Many sources document the fact that when 'point source' discharges <br />(sewer plants, factory discharges, etc.) have been eliminated, the <br />greatest detriment to our lake is urban runoff, especially oil, leaves, dirt <br />and debris from the streets, and from lawn maintenance chemicals and <br />fertilizers. The e,xtra 100 s.f of hardcover in a room addition probably <br />has much less impact than the fertilizers, lawn maintenance chemicals, <br />and the constant drippings of oil and other toxics from automobiles <br />into driveways and roads which ultimately drain to the lake. While our <br />hardcover ordinance tries to maximize the lawn areas available for <br />treating the pollutants generated by our occupation of Orono, we have <br />by no means taken all possible steps to reduce the volume or intensity <br />of these pollutants. Limiting hardcover is not the be-all, end-all <br />solution for saving the lake. It is a time-consuming and often <br />aggravating regulatory process. <br />A number of possibilities might be considered for dealing with <br />stormwater runoff quality: <br />A. Revise Existing Hardcover Ordinance <br />i. Revise allowed percentages to more closely match existing <br />general conditions (might yield better compliance and fewer variance <br />requests, but does not address whether standards are appropriate from <br />a technical standpoint) <br />ii. Do computerized runoff modeling on each individual lot <br />(use topography, soil conditions, vegetation, existing hardcover to <br />determine a maximum level of hardcover yielding acceptable runoff <br />rates for each property). Probably too complex a process to be useful... <br />although topographic information alone might be used to make a case <br />that areas initially draining away from the lake might be allowed more <br />hardcover...as well as areas of flat topography which have a low runoff <br />rate. <br />iii. Allow flexibility in combining other stormwater quality <br />controls with relaxed hardcover standards. <br />iv. Redefine certain items as non-hardcover if they don't <br />generally contribute runoff to the lake (spaced decks, pools or other <br />basins which allow capture and evaporation, etc.).