We encourage the County to focus its stormwater management program within the drainage basins of the small watersheds. Protecting the small tributaries goes a long way in restoring our rivers. The Plan proposes new emphasis on the role of watersheds for study and action. The Plan, like previous ones, relies heavily on educational programs and volunteer efforts that focus on the landowners' responsibility to conserve groundwater and surface waters and to prevent their pollution. Educational programs and voluntary efforts usually have broad support.
Opposition arises when citizens or officials move into the sensitive area of proposing regulations.
Depending on voluntary stewardship will require a more aggressive role in providing information to the public. WISH LIST 1. Considered the most lenient in the nation, Virginia's septic systems were never meant to protect groundwater. They were designed to dispose of sewage as quickly as possible, not to treat it by giving soil time to filter out pollutants. Albemarle County has the responsibility and the authority to develop stronger regulations.