The council of the city finds and determines that:
A.
Water is a limited resource, particularly in dry years, and must be managed and used efficiently;
B.
Precipitation in California fluctuates annually causing yearly variations in the water supply as demonstrated by water supply shortages experienced in the East Bay Municipal Utility District service area;
C.
State and local standards for water use have been established in regard to other water uses, including indoor plumbing fixtures;
D.
In addition to these water-conserving efforts, landscapes should be designed based on the functional use of the landscape and appropriate horticulture, by including plants best suited for the climate. Use of native California plants shall be encouraged wherever possible;
E.
Cities as water users can provide leadership in water-conserving landscape and irrigation practices, and more comprehensive water savings can be achieved if the city adopts landscape requirements for use in its own landscape irrigation activities;
F.
Such landscape requirements do not increase the cost of landscaping when computed over the life of the development and do not diminish the aesthetic quality of the landscaping; and
G.
Outdoor landscaping can consume up to half of the water used by households and it is well established that frequent overwatering of landscaping can be avoided through appropriate use of plant materials, efficient irrigation systems and good landscape management practices.
H.
In 2015, the California Department of Water Resources revised its Model Water Efficiency Landscape Ordinance to increase water efficiency standards for new and retrofitted landscapes through encouraging the use of more efficient irrigation systems, graywater usage, and onsite stormwater capture, and by limiting the portion of landscapes that can be covered in turf, and this update is contained in California Code of Regulations, Title 23, Division 2, Chapter 2.7, Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance.
(Ord. 2020-002 § 18 (part), 2020)
