[Adopted 12-12-2016 by 'Ord. No. 2016-31]
Restrictions on outdoor landscape water use apply to all users in Township of Mount Holly at all times regardless of source of supply (e.g., public water supplies, well or ground water, lakes, streams, or ponds) unless expressly exempt in §
268-5, Exemptions. Such water use shall conform to the following outdoor landscape water use restrictions:
A. Lawn watering with a hose or hose-end sprinkler:
(1) May only be done two days per week as follow and as shown in Attachment
A.
(a)
Properties north of the Garden/Rancocas Road (Rt. 617/626) may
only water two days per week (Tuesdays and Saturdays);
(b)
Properties south and on Garden/Rancocas Road (Rt. 617/626) may
only water two days per week (Wednesdays and Sundays).
(2) Watering shall only be conducted between the hours of 6:00 a.m. and
9:30 a.m. or between 5:00 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.;
(3) The watering of any single area shall not exceed 30 minutes per day;
(4) Flowers and shrubs may be watered as needed with a hand-held hose
equipped with an automatic shut-off nozzle;
(5) No hose or hose-end watering shall be permitted when it is raining.
B. Irrigating lawns and landscapes with automatic irrigation systems equipped with a conventional irrigation controller (this includes all systems that do not have a "SMART" controller as defined in Subsection
C):
(1) May only be done two days per week and as shown in Attachment A.
(a)
Properties north of the Garden/Rancocas Road (Rt. 617/626) may
only water two days per week (Tuesdays and Saturdays);
(b)
Properties south and on Garden/Rancocas Road (Rt. 617/626) may
only water two days per week (Wednesdays and Sundays);
(2) Irrigation shall only be conducted between the hours of 12:00 midnight
and 10:00 a.m.
(3) Operation of any irrigation zone equipped with spray (mist) heads
shall not exceed 15 minutes per zone. Operation of any irrigation
zone equipped with rotary sprinkler heads shall not exceed 50 minutes
per zone.
C. Irrigation with systems equipped with a SMART controller:
(1) To qualify for this provision, the SMART controller must have met
the minimum requirements of IA-SWAT protocol testing. Lists of climate-based
and sensor based controllers that have successfully completed the
protocol testing can be found at http://www.irrigation.org/SWAT/Industry/ia-tested.asp
(2) The property owner must register the SMART controller with the municipality.
(a)
The municipality will issue a yard placard which the owner must
display signifying that the property is irrigated with a SMART controller.
(3) The SMART controller must be programmed by an EPA WaterSense Partner
who holds a New Jersey landscape irrigation contractor certificate
pursuant to N.J.S.A. 45:5AA-3.
(a)
The SMART controller must be programmed to irrigate between
the hours of 12:00 midnight and 10:00 a.m.;
(b)
Proper sprinkler head data and accurate soil/plant/irrigation
information must be entered;
(c)
The SMART controller programming data shall be posted at the
controller;
(d)
The WaterSense Partner must make a minimum of two site visits
after the initial programming to adjust and fine tune the irrigation
schedule.
D. Irrigation systems programmed and monitored by an irrigation manager:
(1) The property owner must designate a qualified person who will be
the irrigation manager and register that person with the municipality
with defining qualifications.
(a)
The municipality will issue a yard placard which the owner must
display signifying that the property is irrigated by an irrigation
manager.
(2) The irrigation manager must be an EPA WaterSense Partner or show
evidence of successfully completing one of the approved courses listed
below:
(a)
Rutgers University Continuing Education Course, Irrigation Systems:
Scheduling.
(b)
Irrigation Association's online course, Landscape Irrigation
Scheduling.
(c)
A comparable course offered by a recognized continuing education
facility or professional association.
(3) A property-specific irrigation program shall be developed by the
irrigation manager based on plant variety, soil type, exposure, slope,
precipitation rate, and irrigation efficiency.
(4) Weekly adjustments shall be made to the irrigation schedule based
on current evapotranspiration (ET) rates or weather conditions.
(5) If it is found that an irrigation manager does not follow any of
the terms prescribed in this article, they may be disqualified from
acting as a properties irrigation manager.
E. All automatic irrigation systems:
(1) Shall be equipped with an operational automatic rain sensor device,
which disables the system when a predetermined amount of rainfall
has occurred. Each rain sensor device shall be capable of and programmed
to interrupt the automatic irrigation cycle when 1/4 inch of rain
has fallen.
(2) Any work performed on a system as a result of any inspection made
by the homeowner or a professional must be in compliance with the
Landscape Irrigation Contractor Certification Act of 1991 (N.J.S.A.
45:5AA-3).
(3) Flowers and shrubs irrigated with drip or micro-irrigation may be
watered as needed.
F. All new irrigation systems must comply with the following:
(1) The system must be installed by an EPA WaterSense Partner who holds
a New Jersey landscape irrigation contractor certificate pursuant
to N.J.S.A. 45:5AA-3.
(2) New Jersey irrigation best management design practices are listed
below. More information on these practices can be found at http://www.monroetud.com/s/Rutgers_Best-Management-Practices-for-Irrigating-Landscape-Plant-Material-Irrigation-Scheduling-with.pdf.
(a)
Designing a system that insures sufficient operating pressure
at the sprinkler head;
(b)
Dividing irrigated areas into hydro-zones of turf and plants
with similar water requirements;
(c)
Creating zoning systems according to exposure;
(d)
Considering the soil type so the sprinkler irrigation precipitation
rate is compatible with the soil infiltration rate or dividing the
zone run times into multiple short cycles;
(e)
Providing separate control of sloped areas;
(f)
Preventing sprinkler heads from overthrowing onto driveways,
roads, and sidewalks;
(g)
Providing for separate irrigation for parkway strips between
curbs and sidewalks that minimizes overthrow onto walks, pavement,
and other impervious surfaces;
(h)
Using pressure-regulating technology as necessary to ensure
sprinkler heads operate within the manufacturer's recommended
range. The pressure regulation may be:
[1]
A pressure regulation device at the point of connection;
[2]
Pressure regulation at each remote control valve;
[3]
Pressure regulation at the sprinkler head;
[4]
A combination of the above.
(i)
Irrigating all flowers and shrubs with drip and/or micro-irrigation;
(j)
Including check valves in low sprinkler heads to prevent low-point
drainage;
(k)
Having a pressure regulating device and wye strainer on each
drip/micro-control valve.
(3) System must have a SMART controller capable of estimating or measuring
depletion of available plant soil moisture and operating the irrigation
system only to replenish the water as needed while minimizing excess
water use.
(a)
The SMART controller must be an EPA WaterSense labeled SMART
controller and listed on their website (http://www.epa.gov/watersense/product_search.html
and select irrigation controllers from the drop-down menu).
(b)
The SMART controller must be programmed by an EPA WaterSense
Partner who holds a New Jersey landscape irrigation contractor certificate
pursuant to N.J.S.A. 45:5AA-3.
[1]
Proper sprinkler head data and accurate soil/plant/irrigation
information must be entered;
[2]
The SMART controller programming data shall be posted at the
controller;
[3]
The WaterSense partner must make a minimum of two site visits
after the initial programming to adjust and fine tune the irrigation
schedule.
G. Upon the declaration of water emergency by the Township of Mount
Holly, additional restrictions may be imposed and shall supersede
the restrictions in this article.
H. State of New Jersey requirements shall supersede those identified
in this section when more stringent than those identified in this
article.
The water use restrictions and automatic rain sensor requirement imposed pursuant to this section shall be enforced by the local authorized official. Whenever a local authorized official shall find a violation of the water use restrictions, regardless of the source of the water (public supply or private source), such authorized official shall issue a written warning and explain the penalties for a third offense, as provided in §
268-4. The local authorized official shall keep such records as may be reasonable and necessary for the purpose of determining the persons and businesses who have been warned upon a first offense. The local authorized official is hereby empowered to write summons for the violation of the water use restrictions imposed pursuant to this section.
Two warnings will be issued following a first and second offense in accordance with §
268-3 above; any person or business that thereafter violates the water use restrictions imposed pursuant to this section shall be subject to the penalty provisions stated at $50.
Restrictions in this article above do not apply to the following:
A. Outdoor water use from rain water harvesting, gray water, or reclaimed
water are exempt from the provisions of the article. Use of gray or
reclaimed water must have an approved NJPDES permit issued through
the NJDEP.
B. Outdoor water use for commercial farms producing harvestable crops,
commercial nurseries, sod farms and golf courses are exempt from the
provisions of the article.
C. Outdoor irrigation necessary for one day only where treatment with
an application of chemicals require immediate watering to preserve
an existing landscape or to establish a new landscape.
D. Outdoor irrigation necessary for the establishment of newly sodded
lawns or landscaping within the first 21 consecutive days of planting.
E. Visually supervised operation of an irrigation system by a person
in compliance with the New Jersey Landscape Irrigation Contractor
Certification Act of 1991 (N.J.S.A. 45:5AA-1) and at the minimum rate
necessary in order to check system condition and effectiveness.