Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance2015 Revision Workshop

Utility Field Operations Facility

January 12, 2016

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WELO Workshop Agenda• Welcome/Introductions

• Santa Rosa Water-Use Efficiency Program

• WELO Background and Purpose

• 2015 WELO Revision

• Maximum Applied Water Allowance

• Soil Analysis Report

• Landscape Design Plan

• Irrigation Design Plan

• Grading Design Plan

• Documentation for Compliance

• Q&A

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• Started in 1970’s

• Sustainable Water Savings-1.5 Billion Gallons per Year

• 50,000 Toilets Upgraded

• Over 3 Million sq ft of Lawn Removed

• About the size of 63 football fields

• Water savings equal to 800 homes

City of Santa RosaWater-Use Efficiency Program

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Rebates & Incentives

Residential/Commercial Check-ups◦ Indoor & Outdoor

◦ Free Hardware

Outreach & Education◦ Public Events

◦ Free Workshops

◦ Free Literature

Tools◦ WaterSmart

◦ Landscape H20 ROI Calculator

◦ www.srcity.org/wue

WUE Program Services

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WUE Rebates and Incentives• Residential and Commercial

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Green Exchange Rebate

• Irrigation Efficiency Upgrades

• $100 max - residential

• $1,000 max (per meter) – commercial

• Cash for Grass

• $0.50/sqft (Drought Special $1.00)

• 500 sqft max - residential

• 5,000 sqft max (per meter)-commercial

• Pre inspection or workshop completion

• Post inspection

• $$ upon installation completion

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Rainwater Harvesting Rebate

• $0.25 per gallon of storage • Up to peak month (July) site

• Cost of materials only

• Backflow required for some systems• Systems with pumps, pressurization, electrical

power or controls, potable water connections

• Plumbing permit needed

• Requires annual testing

• Pre & post inspection

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Graywater Reuse Rebate• $75 per fixture• Laundry to Landscape Workshops

• Engineered System

• $200 for every 1,000 gallons of monthly savings

• Building Permit

• Design Plans

• Post inspection

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WELO Background

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• 1991 – State: AB 325 (Landscape Model Ordinance)

• 1992 – Santa Rosa: Water Efficient Landscape Policy

• 2006 – State: AB 1881 directed Department of Water Resources (DWR) to revise State Ordinance

• 2007 – Santa Rosa: Single Family Landscape Standards

• 2009 – State: DWR releases new State Ordinance

• 2010 – Santa Rosa: Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance (WELO)

• July 15, 2015- State: California Water Commission approvesrevised State Ordinance

• December, 2015 – Santa Rosa: Revised Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance (WELO)

Efficient vs. Non-Efficient

• Majority low-water use plants

• Drip irrigation

• SMART irrigation controller

• Majority high-water use plants

• Overhead irrigation

• Standard controller

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Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance

Purpose:

• Prevent waste and unreasonable use

• Protect local water supply

• Whole system approach

• Climate appropriate

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Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance

Applicability:

• Revision effective December 1, 2015

• All new and rehabilitated landscapes (tied to building permits)

• Does not apply to:

• Projects completed under previous Ordinance/Policies

• Historical landscape areas

• Ecological restoration projects

• Existing botanical gardens and arboretums 12

City’s 2015 WELO Revision

• New MAWA

• Soils report required

• Friable soil conditions

• Irrigation audit required

• Encourages storm water capture and graywater use

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Maximum Applied Water Allowance Requirement

• Water budget approach calculated using evapotranspiration (ET)

• ET = amount of water lost due to evaporation from soil and transpiration through plants

• Additional factors include

• Plant types

• Irrigation system efficiency

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Maximum Applied Water Allowance Requirement (MAWA)

• 2015 revision limits amount of high water-use plant material in landscapes

• Residential= 25%

• Commercial, Industrial, Institutional = 0%

(unless Recreational Area)

• Recreational Area = areas designed for active play, recreation or public assembly

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Revised MAWA (Appendix A)

• Reduced Evapotranspiration Adjustment Factor (ETAF)

• Adjusted Special Landscape Area (SLA)

• Reduced Irrigation Efficiency (IE)

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ETAF 2010 2015

Commercial 0.6 .45

Special Landscape Area- Commercial

0.4 .55

Residential 0.6 .55

Special Landscape Area- Residential

0.4 .45

IE

2010 2015

% of total landscape irrigated with drip (more drip = higher IE)

.81 Drip

.75 Spray

Soil Analysis Report (Required)

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• Submitted with Certificate of Completion if grading permit is required

• Submitted with Landscape Documentation Package if no grading permit is required

• Analysis must include: Soil texture, Infiltration rate, pH, total soluble salts, sodium, % organic matter, and recommendations

Landscape Design Plan• Prior to the planting, compacted soils must be

transformed to a friable condition (only amended planting holes on engineered slopes)

• Amendments incorporated per soil analysis report

• Incorporate compost to min depth of 8”at min rate of 6 cubic yds./1,000 sqft (soils with greater than 6% organic matter in the top 6” of soil exempt)

• 3” layer of mulch required• Designated insect habitat can be unmulched (</5% of landscape)

• Very low, low, and moderate H20 plants can be mixed on same valve (high H20 on separate valves) • Plant factors obtained from WUCOLS or research from

academia/nurseries as approved by DWR

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Landscape Design Plan• No turf in

• Slopes >10%

• Areas 8’ wide or less

• Street medians, traffic islands, planter strips or bulbouts of any size

• Invasive plants prohibited

• Identify location/details of rainwater/graywater/stormwater features

• Water features

• Recirculating water systems required

• Recycled water used when available

• Surface area of water feature included in the high water use hydrozone area of the water budget calculation

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Irrigation Design Plan• Dedicated irrigation meter or submeter required

• Landscapes >/5,000 sqft require a high-flow sensor and master valve

• Isolation valves must be installed at the POC and before each valve or valve manifold

• Weather-based or sensor based self-adjusting irrigation controllers utilizing non-volatile memory required

• Rain sensors required for each controller

• Components must operate at the manufacturer’s recommended optimal pressure

• System designed to prevent runoff or overspray onto nontargeted areas

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Irrigation Design Plan• Point source irrigation required where plant height at maturity

will block throw of sprayheads

• Min 24” setback of overhead irrigation is required where turf is directly adjacent hardscape that flows into the curb and gutter

• Slopes >15% must be irrigated with point source or low-volume irrigation

• Valve can not mix high water use plants with moderate, low, or very low water use plants

• Trees on separate valves except when planted in turf areas

• Matched precipitation rates required

• Head to head coverage is required

• Swing joints and check valves required21

Grading Design Plan

• Grading design plan required on slopes >10%

• Must contain following statement:

• “I have complied with the criteria of the ordinance and applied them accordingly for the efficient use of water in the grading design plan” and shall bear the signature of a licensed professional as authorized by law.”

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Documentation for Compliance

• Step 1: Final Design Review• Submit following documentation to the City

• Soil analysis report and documentation verifying implementation of soil report recommendations

• Completed MAWA

• Landscape design plan

• Conceptual irrigation design plan or statement which describes irrigation methods and design actions that will be employed to meet the irrigation specifications

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Documentation for Compliance

• Step 2: Building Permit/Plan Check• Reviewed/approved before permit issued

• MAWA and planting design as submitted at Step 1

• Irrigation design plan drawn at the same scale as the landscape design plan

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Documentation for Compliance

• Step 3: Completion of Installation• Submit Irrigation Audit that includes

• Operating pressure

• Distribution uniformity of overhead irrigation

• Precipitation rate of overhead irrigation

• Report of any overspray or broken irrigation equipment

• Irrigation schedule

• Verification that a diagram of the irrigation plan showing hydrozones is kept with the irrigation controller

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Documentation for Compliance

• Step 3: Completion of Installation• Audits must be conducted by Certified

Landscape Irrigation Auditor

• Qualified Water Efficient Landscaper: http://www.qwel.net

• Irrigation Association Certified Landscape Irrigation Auditor (CLIA) http://www.irrigation.org/

• California Landscape Contractors Association (Certified Water Manager) http://clca.org

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Documentation for Compliance

• Step 3: Completion of Installation• Submit Irrigation Maintenance Schedule

timeline submitted that includes

• Routine inspections

• Adjustments/repairs

• Aerating/dethatching

• Replenishing mulch

• Fertilizing, pruning, weeding

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Documentation for Compliance

• Step 3: Completion of Installation• Final Inspection performed by City staff

• Advance notice required

• Morning or afternoon appointments

• Building permit final not completed until landscape inspection is approved

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Documentation for Compliance

Submit plans in

compliance with

ordinance

Agency plan review

Pass Installation

Completion Package

submitted to Agency

Final Inspection

Fail

Fail

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Resources

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•www.srcity.org/welo

Questions?

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