The intent of the water-efficient landscape chapter is to:
A.
Be
at least as effective in conserving water as the State Model Water
Efficient Landscape Ordinance and consistent with Governor Brown's
April 1, 2015 Drought Executive Order B-19-25;
B.
Establish
a structure for planning, designing, installing, and maintaining and
managing water efficient landscapes in new construction and rehabilitated
projects;
C.
Establish
provisions for water management practices and water waste prevention
for existing landscapes;
D.
Assure
beneficial, efficient, and responsible use of water resources;
E.
Retain
the land's natural hydrological role and promote the infiltration
of surface water into the groundwater;
F.
Recognize
that landscapes enhance the aesthetic appearance of developments and
communities;
G.
Encourage
the appropriate design, installation, maintenance, and management
of landscapes so that water demand can be decreased, runoff can be
retained, and flooding can be reduced without a decline in the quality
or quantity of landscapes; and
H.
Reduce
or eliminate water waste.
(Ord. 1196 § 1, 2010; Ord. 1240 § 1, 2016)
area pertains to production home neighborhoods, common interest
developments, or other situations where multiple parcels are undergoing
landscape development as one project, but may eventually be individually
owned or maintained.
means the portion of water supplied by the irrigation system
to the landscape.
means a man-made material which simulates the appearance
of live turf, organic turf, grass, sod, or lawn.
means an automatic timing device used to remotely control
valves that operate an irrigation system. Automatic irrigation controllers
schedule irrigation events using either evapotranspiration (weather-based)
or soil moisture data.
means a safety device used to prevent pollution or contamination
of the water supply due to the reverse flow of water from the irrigation
system.
means Chapter 18.14 of the San Dimas Municipal Code.
means a valve located under a sprinkler head, or other location
in the irrigation system, to hold water in the system to prevent drainage
from sprinkler heads when the sprinkler is off.
means the certification included as Exhibit E of the Implementation
Guidelines that shall be included in the landscape documentation package
pursuant to Section 2.1 of the Guidelines.
means person certified to perform landscape irrigation audits
by an accredited academic institution, a professional trade organization
or other program such as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's
WaterSense Irrigation Auditor Certification Program and Irrigation
Association's Certified Landscape Irrigation Auditor Program.
means the city of San Dimas.
means community apartment projects, condominium projects,
planned developments, and stock cooperatives per Civil Code Section
1351.
means the number that converts acre-inches per acre per year
to gallons per square foot per year.
means any non-spray low volume irrigation system utilizing
emission devices with a flow rate measured in gallons per hour. Low
volume irrigation systems are specifically designed to apply small
volumes of water slowly at or near the root zone of plants.
means landscaping that utilizes little or no irrigation through
the use of water-conserving materials and techniques, including, but
not limited to, native drought-tolerant plants, mulch and efficient
irrigation.
means a project where the site is intentionally altered to
establish a defined, indigenous, historic ecosystem.
means a drip irrigation emission device that delivers water
slowly from the system to the soil.
means the annual total amount of water estimated to keep
plants in a healthy state. It is based on factors such as reference
evapotranspiration rate, the size of the landscaped area, plant water
use factors, and the irrigation efficiency within each hydrozone.
means a factor of 0.55 for residential areas and 0.45 for
nonresidential areas, that, when applied to reference evapotranspiration,
adjusts for plant factors and irrigation efficiency, two major influences
upon the amount of water that needs to be applied to the landscape.
The ETAF for new and existing (non-rehabilitated) special landscape
areas shall not exceed 1.0. The ETAF for existing non-rehabilitated
landscapes is 0.8.
means the quantity of water evaporated from adjacent soil
and other surfaces and transpired by plants during a specified time.
means the rate at which water flows through pipes, valves,
and emission devices, measured in gallons per minute, gallons per
hour, or cubic feet per second.
for purposes of this chapter and the Guidelines, shall mean
the required front yard setback and any area between the street and
the outline of the main building line. For other unique lot configurations,
the director of development services shall determine front yard.
means fifty percent of the front yard area that requires
to be landscaped with live vegetation, artificial turf, drought tolerant
landscaping or a combination of all three.
means a system untreated wastewater that has not been contaminated
by any toilet discharge, has not been affected by infectious, contaminated,
or unhealthy bodily wastes, and does not present a threat from contamination
by unhealthy processing, manufacturing, or operating wastes. Graywater
includes, but is not limited to, wastewater from bathtubs, showers,
bathroom washbasins, clothes washing machines. And laundry tubs, but
does not include wastewater from kitchen sinks or dishwashers as per
the Health and Safety Code (Section 17922.12). Graywater systems promote
the efficient use of water and are encouraged to assist in on-site
landscape irrigation. All graywater systems shall conform to the California
Plumbing Code (Title 24, Part 5, Chapter 16) and any applicable local
ordinance standards.
means any durable material or feature (pervious or non-pervious)
installed in or around a landscape area, such as pavements, concrete,
asphalt, bricks or stone. Pools and other water features are considered
part of the landscaped area and not considered hardscapes for purposes
of this chapter and the Guidelines.
means a portion of the landscaped area having plants with
similar water needs and typically irrigated by one valve/controller
station. A hydrozone may be irrigated or non-irrigated.
means the Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance
Guidelines which shall be adopted by resolution of the planning commission. The purpose of the Guidelines is to provide procedural and design guidance for applicants proposing new landscape or landscape rehabilitation projects that are subject to Chapter 18.14 of the city of San Dimas Municipal Code.
means the rate of water entry into the soil expressed as
a depth of water per unit of time (e.g., inches per hour).
means species of plants not historically found in California
that spread outside cultivated areas and can damage environmental
or economic resources. Invasive plant species may be regulated by
county agricultural agencies as noxious species.
means an in-depth evaluation of the performance of an irrigation
system conducted by a certified landscape irrigation auditor. An irrigation
audit includes, but is not limited to: inspection, system tune-up,
system test with distribution uniformity or emission uniformity, reporting
overspray or runoff that causes overland flow, and preparation of
an irrigation schedule.
means the measurement of the amount of water beneficially
used divided by the amount of water applied to a landscaped area.
Irrigation efficiency is derived from measurements and estimates of
irrigation system characteristics and management practices. The minimum
average irrigation efficiency for purposes of this chapter and the
Guidelines is 0.71. Greater irrigation efficiency can be expected
from well designed and maintained systems. The following irrigation
efficiency may be obtained for the listed irrigation heads with an
IME of ninety percent:
|
Irrigation Method
|
DULQ
|
DULH*
|
EU
|
IE**
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Spray nozzles
|
65%
|
79%
|
71%
| |
|
High efficiency spray nozzles
|
75%
|
82%
|
73%
| |
|
Multi-stream/multi-trajectory rotary (MSMT) nozzles
|
75%
|
85%
|
76%
| |
|
Stream rotor nozzle
|
70%
|
82%
|
73%
| |
|
Microspray
|
75%
|
85%
|
76%
| |
|
Bubblers
|
85%
|
77%
| ||
|
Drip emitter
|
90%
|
81%
| ||
|
Subsurface drip
|
90%
|
81%
|
|
*
|
DULH =.386 + (.614)(DULQ)
|
|
**
|
IE (spray) = (DULH)(IME)
|
|
**
|
IE (drip) = Emission uniformity (EU)(IME)
|
means the measurement used to calculate the irrigation efficiency
of the irrigation system for a landscaped project. A ninety-percent
IME can be achieved by using evapotranspiration controllers, soil
moisture sensors, and other methods that will adjust irrigation run
times to meet plant water needs.
is the product of a plant factor multiplied by a density
factor and a microclimate factor. The landscape coefficient is derived
to estimate water loss from irrigated landscaped areas and special
landscaped areas.
means all the planting areas, turf areas, and water features
in a landscape design plan subject to the maximum applied water allowance
and estimated applied water use calculations. The landscaped area
does not include footprints of buildings or structures, sidewalks,
driveways, parking lots, decks, patios, gravel or stone walks, other
pervious or non-pervious hardscapes, and other non-irrigated areas
designated for non-development (e.g., open spaces and existing native
vegetation).
means the package of documents that a project applicant is
required to submit to the city pursuant to Section 2.1 of the Guidelines.
means the certificate included as Appendix E of the Guidelines
that shall be submitted to the city pursuant to Section 2.7(c)(1)
of the Guidelines.
means a licensed landscape architect, licensed landscape
contractor, or any other person authorized to design a landscape pursuant
to Sections 5500.1, 5615, 5641, 5641.1, 5641.2, 5641.3, 5641.4, 5641.5,
5641.6, 6701, 7027.5 of the California Business and Professions Code,
Section 832.27 of Title 16 of the California Code of Regulations,
and Section 6721 of the California Food and Agriculture Code.
means the water delivery pipeline that supplies water to
the emitters or sprinklers from the valve.
means the application of irrigation water at low pressure
through a system of tubing or lateral lines and low-volume emitters
such as drip, drip lines, and bubblers. Low volume irrigation systems
are specifically designed to apply small volumes of water slowly at
or near the root zone of plants.
means aboveground irrigation heads with an upper flow limit
of 0.5 GPM.
means the pressurized pipeline that delivers water from the
water source to the valve or outlet.
means a valve such as a gate valve, ball valve, or butterfly
valve installed downstream of the point of connection of the water
supply to shutdown water flow through mainline piping for routine
maintenance and emergency repair.
an electronic valve such as a solenoid valve installed as
close as possible to the point of connection and is used in conjunction
with a flow sensor and flow monitoring controller technology to automatically
shutdown system wide water flow in the event of high flow conditions
such as mainline pipe break.
means the upper limit of annual applied water for the established
landscaped area, as specified in Section 2.2 of the Guidelines. It
is based upon the area's reference evapotranspiration, the ETAF, and
the size of the landscaped area. The estimated applied water use shall
not exceed the maximum applied water allowance.
means the climate of a small, specific area that may contrast
with the climate of the overall landscaped area due to factors such
as wind, sun exposure, plant density, or proximity to reflective surfaces.
means any surface mining operation with a reclamation plan
approved in accordance with the Surface mining and Reclamation Act
of 1975.
means any organic material such as leaves, bark, straw or
compost, or inorganic mineral materials such as rocks, gravel, or
decomposed granite left loose and applied to the soil surface for
the beneficial purposes of reducing evaporation, suppressing weeds,
moderating soil temperature, and preventing soil erosion.
means any surface or natural material that does not allow
for the passage of water through the material and into the underlying
soil.
means the pressure at which the parts of an irrigation system
of sprinklers are designed to operate at by the manufacturer.
means the irrigation water which is delivered beyond the
target area.
for purposes of this chapter and the Guidelines, means that
portion of a public street which is not improved for actual street,
curb, gutter or sidewalk use and which is available for planting and
maintaining street trees.
means any natural person, firm, joint venture, joint stock
company, partnership, public or private association, club, company,
corporation, business trust, organization, public or private agency,
government agency or institution, school district, college, university,
any other user of water provided by the city or the local water purveyor,
or the manager, lessee, agent, servant, officer, or employee of any
of them or any other entity which is recognized by law as the subject
of rights or duties.
means any surface or material that allows the passage of
water through the material and into the underlying soil.
is a factor, when multiplied by ETo, that estimates the amount
of water needed by plants. For purposes of this Water Efficient Landscape
Ordinance, the plant factor range for very low water use plants is
0 to 0.1; the plant factor range for low water use plants is 0 to
0.3; the plant factor range for moderate water use plants is 0.4 to
0.6; and the plant factor range for high water use plants is 0.7 to
1.0. Plant factors cited in the Guidelines are derived from the Department
of Water Resources 2000 publication "Water Use Classification of Landscape
Species."
means the rate of application of water measured in inches
per hour.
means the individual or entity submitting a landscape documentation
package required under Section 2.1 to request a permit, plan check,
or design review from the city. A project applicant may be the property
owner or designee.
means the record owner of real property as shown on the most
recently issued equalized assessment roll.
means a component which automatically suspends irrigation
when it rains.
means areas, excluding private single-family residential
areas, designated for active play, recreation or public assembly in
parks, sports fields, picnic grounds, amphitheaters, or golf course
tees, fairways, roughs, surrounds and greens.
means a standard measurement of environmental parameters
which affect the water use of plants. ETo is given expressed in inches
per day, month, or year as represented in Appendix C of the Guidelines,
and is an estimate of the evapotranspiration of a large field of four
to seven-inch tall, cool-season grass that is well watered. Reference
evapotranspiration is used as the basis of determining the maximum
applied water allowances.
means treated or recycled waste water of a quality suitable
for non-potable uses such as landscape irrigation and water features.
This water is not intended for human consumption.
means any re-landscaping project that requires a permit,
plan check, or design review, meets the requirement of Section 1.2
of the Guidelines, and the modified landscape area is equal to or
greater than two thousand five hundred square feet.
means water which is not absorbed by the soil or landscape
to which it is applied and flows from the landscaped area. For example,
runoff may result from water that is applied at too great a rate (application
rate exceeds infiltration rate) or when there is a slope.
means a weather-based or soil moisture-based irrigation controller
that monitors and uses information about the environmental conditions
at a specific location and landscape to automatically adjust watering
schedules.
means the classification of soil based on its percentage
of sand, silt, and clay.
means an area of the landscape dedicated solely to edible
plants such as orchards and vegetable gardens, areas irrigated with
recycled water, water features using recycled water, and areas designated
as a recreational area.
means a device which delivers water through a nozzle.
means the pipeline or municipal water supply pressure when
water is not flowing.
means an area served by one valve or by a set of valves that
operate simultaneously.
means an irrigation component that provides a leak-free connection
between the emission device and lateral pipeline to allow movement
in any direction and to prevent equipment damage.
means a ground cover surface of mowed grass.
means a device used to control the flow of water in an irrigation
system.
for purposes of this chapter and the Guidelines, means any
street side yard that is visible from the public right-of-way which
shall be required to be landscaped with a minimum of fifty percent
of live vegetation, artificial turf, drought tolerant landscaping
or a combination of all three.
means Chapter 18.14 of the city of San Dimas Municipal Zoning Code.
means the worksheet required to be completed pursuant to
Section 2.2 of the Guidelines and which are included in Appendix C
of the Guidelines.
means a design element where open water performs an aesthetic
or recreational function. Water features include ponds, lakes, waterfalls,
fountains, artificial streams, spas, and swimming pools (where water
is artificially supplied). The surface area of water features is included
in the high water use hydrozone of the landscaped area. Constructed
wetlands used for on-site wastewater treatment, habitat protection,
or stormwater best management practices that are not irrigated and
used solely for water treatment or storm-water retention are not water
features and, therefore, are not subject to the water budget calculation.
means the time of day irrigation is allowed.
means the Water Use Classification of Landscape published
by the University of California Cooperative Extension, the Department
of Water Resources, and the Bureau of Reclamation, 2000.
(Ord. 1196 § 1, 2010; Ord. 1240 § 1, 2016)
A.
Beginning
February 1, 2016, all landscaping projects subject to this chapter
shall obtain a permit from the department of development services
prior to installation of any landscaping. All planting, irrigation,
and landscape related improvements required by this chapter shall
apply to the flowing landscape projects:
1.
New
landscape projects with an aggregate landscape area equal to or greater
than five hundred square feet requiring a building or landscape permit,
plan check or design review;
2.
Rehabilitated
landscape projects with an aggregate landscape area equal to or greater
than two thousand five hundred square feet requiring a building or
landscape permit, plan check or design review;
3.
New
or rehabilitated landscape projects between five hundred and two thousand
five hundred square feet may comply with the performance requirements
of this ordinance or conform to the prescriptive measures contained
in Appendix A of the Guidelines;
4.
New
or rehabilitated projects using treated or untreated graywater or
rainwater capture on site, any lot or parcels within the project that
has less than two thousand five hundred square feet of landscape area
and meets the lot or parcel's landscape water requirement (estimated
total water use) entirely with the treated or untreated graywater
or though stored rainwater capture on site is subject only to Appendix
A Section (5) of the Guidelines;
5.
Special
landscaped areas, such as areas dedicated to edible plants, irrigated
with recycled water, or dedicated to active play, shall prepare a
water efficient landscape worksheet and landscape documentation package
according to specifications for special landscaped areas;
6.
Cemeteries.
Recognizing the special landscape management needs of cemeteries,
new and rehabilitated cemeteries are limited to Sections 2.2 and 2.9
of the Guidelines; and existing cemeteries are limited to Section
3 of the Guidelines.
7.
Irrigation
of landscaped areas of any size shall be conducted in a manner conforming
to the rules and requirements, and shall be subject to penalties and
incentives for water conservation and water waste prevention as determined
and implemented by the local water purveyor or as mutually agreed
by the local water purveyor and the city of San Dimas.
8.
Existing
landscapes that are one acre or more shall not exceed their maximum
applied water allowance.
(Ord. 1196 § 1, 2010; Ord. 1240 § 1, 2016)
A.
This
chapter does not apply to:
1.
Registered
local, state, or federal historical sites;
2.
Ecological
restoration projects that do not require a permanent irrigation system;
3.
Mined-land
reclamation projects that do not require a permanent irrigation system;
or
4.
Plant
collections, as part of botanical gardens and arboretums open to the
public.
B.
Except
as provided in this chapter a permit is required before the installation
or rehabilitation of a landscape. Before a permit is issued the director
of development services or designee must ensure the proposed landscape
is in conformity with the conditions set forth in this chapter.
(Ord. 1240 § 1, 2016)
A.
Prior
to installation, a landscape documentation package shall be submitted
to the development services department for review and approval of
all landscape projects subject to the provisions of this chapter.
Any landscape documentation package submitted shall comply with the
adopted Guidelines.
B.
Prior
to assembling the landscape documentation package, applicants are
advised to consult the development services department to ascertain
if the subject property is located within an area subject to additional
landscape requirements including, but not limited to, various custom
lot areas and scenic corridors. Information regarding additional landscape
requirements shall be made available upon request.
C.
Other
regulations affecting landscape design and maintenance practices are
potentially applicable and should be consulted for additional requirements.
These regulations include, but may not be limited to:
1.
State
of California Code Section 65595;
2.
National
Pollutant Discharge Elimination Permit for the municipal separate
sewer system;
3.
Water
conservation and drought response regulations of the local water purveyor;
4.
Zoning
code;
5.
Building
code;
6.
Specific
plans, master plans, general plan, or similar land use and planning
documents; and
7.
Conditions
of approval for a specific project.
D.
Landscape
and irrigation plans submitted to the development services department
for review and approval shall include appropriate water use calculations.
E.
The
landscape documentation package shall bear the signature of a licensed
landscape architect, licensed landscape contractor, or any other person
authorized to design a landscape. This chapter shall not be deemed
to prohibit any person from preparing any plans, drawings, or specifications
for any property owned by that person.
F.
Verification
of compliance of the landscape installation with the approved plans
shall be obtained through a certificate of completion in conjunction
with the final permit process, as provided in the Guidelines and are
certified to be in compliance with the provisions of this chapter
and Guidelines and that the landscaping has been completed in accordance
with the approved plans.
(Ord. 1196 § 1, 2010; Ord. 1240 § 1, 2016)
For applicable landscape installation or rehabilitation projects
subject to this chapter, the estimated applied water use allowed for
the landscaped areas shall not exceed the maximum applied water allowance
calculated using an ET adjustment factor of 0.55 for residential areas
and 0.45 for nonresidential areas, exclusive of special landscape
areas, except for special landscaped areas where the maximum applied
water allowance is calculated using an ET adjustment factor of 1.0;
or the design of the landscaped area shall otherwise be shown to be
equivalently water-efficient in a manner acceptable to the city as
provided in the Guidelines.
(Ord. 1196 § 1, 2010; Ord. 1240 § 1, 2016)
A.
Irrigation
of landscaped areas of any size shall be conducted in a manner conforming
to the rules and requirements and shall be subject to penalties and
incentives for water conservation and waste prevention, as determined
and implemented by the local water purveyor and as may be mutually
agreed by the city.
B.
The
city and/or local water purveyor may administer programs such as irrigation
water use analyses, irrigation surveys and/or irrigation audits, tiered
meter rate structures, water budgeting by parcel, or other approaches
to achieve landscape water use efficiency community-wide to a level
equivalent to or less than would be achieved by applying a MAWA calculated
with an ETAF of 0.8 to all landscaped areas in the city over one acre
in size.
C.
The
architectural guidelines of a common interest development, including
apartments, condominiums, planned developments, and stock cooperatives,
shall not prohibit or include conditions that have the effect of prohibiting
the use of low-water use plants as a group.
D.
Water
Waste Prevention.
1.
Water
waste resulting from inefficient landscape irrigation leading to excessive
runoff, low head drainage, overspray and other similar conditions
where water flows onto adjacent property, non-irrigated areas, walks,
roadways or structures is prohibited.
2.
All
landscape areas, whether installed pursuant to this chapter or not,
shall be maintained in a healthful and sound condition. Irrigation
systems and their components shall be maintained in a fully functional
manner consistent with the originally approved design and the provisions
of this chapter.
3.
Landscapes
shall be maintained to ensure water efficiency. A regular maintenance
schedule should include, but not be limited to, checking, adjusting,
and repairing irrigation equipment; resetting the automatic controller;
aerating and dethatching turf areas; replenishing mulch; fertilizing;
pruning; and weeding in all landscaped areas.
(Ord. 1196 § 1, 2010; Ord. 1240 § 1, 2016)
A.
Artificial or synthetic turf is an appropriate substitute for natural turf in some cases for the purposes of water conservation. Installation and maintenance of artificial turf shall be governed by Guidelines which shall be adopted as set forth in Section 18.14.100.
B.
Drought tolerant landscapes may be an appropriate substitute, in some cases, for natural turf for the purposes of water conservation. When installed correctly, drought tolerant landscapes can provide aesthetic curb appeal and provide an appealing community environment, while utilizing little to no water consumption. Installation and maintenance of artificial turf shall be governed by Guidelines which shall be adopted as set forth in Section 18.14.100.
(Ord. 1196 § 1, 2010; Ord. 1240 § 1, 2016)
A.
The
director of development services or designee may grant minor deviations
from the requirements of this chapter limited to the following:
1.
Minor
modifications to approved landscaping irrigation or grading plans,
which comply with the spirit and intent of this chapter and the accompanying
Guidelines;
2.
Modifications
of planting, installation, and/or preparation details;
3.
Final
of permits prior to installation of landscaping due to exceptional
and unforeseen circumstance, subject to the deposit of an appropriate
performance guarantee with the development services department.
B.
In
granting a minor deviation, the director of development services or
designee may impose conditions, as deemed necessary, to comply with
the spirit and intent of this chapter and accompanying Guidelines;
(Ord. 1196 § 1, 2010; Ord. 1240 § 1, 2016)
The Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance Guidelines shall be adopted by resolution of the planning commission.
(Ord. 1196 § 1, 2010; Ord. 1240 § 1, 2016)
A.
Any firm, corporation or person, whether as principal, agent, employee or otherwise, violating or causing the violation of any of the provisions of this chapter shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and any conviction thereof shall be punishable as set forth in Chapter 1.12 of the San Dimas Municipal Code.
B.
Nothing
herein shall prevent or restrict the city from taking such other lawful
action in any court of competent jurisdiction as is necessary to prevent
or remedy any violation or noncompliance. Such other lawful actions
shall include, but shall not be limited to, an equitable action for
injunctive relief or an action at law for damages.
C.
Further,
nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit the city from
prosecuting any violation of this chapter by means of code enforcement
established pursuant to the authority as provided by the laws of the
state of California and the city of San Dimas.
D.
Any
violation of the provisions of this chapter shall constitute a separate
offense for each and every day during which such violation is committed
or continued.
(Ord. 1196 § 1, 2010; Ord. 1240 § 1, 2016)
