Our new well is 210 feet deep and contaminated with coliforms. Most people quickly blame the farmer and his fertilizer for contaminated wells, but I have learned that many states are using a test that tells whether the contamination is coming from human or animal waste and often it's coming up human. Fertilizer is spread on top of the ground, but our thousands of septic tanks send the waste directly into the ground. Maryland refuses to use the test. Maybe we don't want to know. Limestone karst areas like ours don't filter water well. Again, more septic tanks aren't going to help.
Another subject that was discussed in depth by the commissioners was the Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance or APFO. This is a list of regulations that are supposed to ensure that a new development isn't allowed in unless there are adequate roads, schools and public services for the new residents. But as Arch explained, the ordinance now states that even if there is only one existing vacancy at a nearby school, a development of any size, even 750 homes, must be permitted. This is ludicrous and the commissioners seemed intent on "tightening up" the APFO as soon as possible. They suggested it might only take a few months to do so.
