A. Landscape Certificate Of Completion: Upon completion of the installation of the landscaping, the landscape architect, irrigation designer, contractor, or owner must certify that the landscape complies with all policies of this chapter. A certificate of completion must be obtained from the city. City staff must verify through the inspection process that all equipment, sprinklers and plant species installed conform to the approved landscape documentation package plans for the project. Certification must be accomplished by completion of a landscape certificate on a form approved by the Director of Community Development. Additionally, a certified landscape auditor must perform a landscape irrigation audit to obtain final certificate of occupancy. The landscape irrigation audit and landscape certificate for the landscape and irrigation system must be reviewed and approved by the building official before final certificate of occupancy is issued. Failure to submit a complete and accurate landscape certificate will delay final approval of the project and/or discontinue water service.
B. Items Submitted For Review: The following items must be submitted for review to request a Certificate of Completion:
1. Landscape Certificate of Completion form.
2. Soil Management Report.
3. Irrigation Scheduling Parameters.
4. Irrigation audit report, Irrigation Survey, or Irrigation Water Use Analysis report.
5. Landscape and Irrigation Maintenance schedule.
C. Verification Of Compliance: The verification of compliance of the landscape installation with approved plans must be obtained through the certificate of completion in conjunction with a certificate of occupancy.
1. Upon completion of the landscaping project, the applicant must submit a “landscape installation certificate of completion” to the Community Development Department, certifying that the landscaping has been installed as shown on the approved record drawings with the City.
2. No final for the landscaping permit will be approved by the City for the project until the project applicant has submitted an “irrigation survey”, or “irrigation water use analysis”, or “irrigation audit” report proving the project does exceed the “maximum applied water allowance” calculated by the licensed professional as approved in the record drawings with the City. The “irrigation survey”, or “irrigation water use analysis”, or “irrigation audit” report must describe how much water is used within a three (3) month period after the irrigation system is fully functioning and all landscaping has been installed. The report must be used to evaluate water use in landscaping projects and provide recommendations to prevent water waste. All landscape irrigation audits must be conducted by a certified landscape irrigation auditor.
D. Irrigation Audit, Irrigation Survey, And Irrigation Water Use Analysis Report: The landscape certificate of completion must be accompanied by an irrigation audit, irrigation survey, or irrigation water use analysis report. All landscape irrigation audits must be conducted by a certified landscape irrigation auditor. Landscape audits must not be conducted by the person who designed the landscape or installed the landscape.
1. The irrigation audit, or irrigation survey, or irrigation water use analysis report must describe the following:
a. Operation pressure of the irrigation system;
b. Distribution uniformity of overhead irrigation;
c. Precipitation rate of overhead irrigation; and
d. Report of any overspray or broken irrigation equipment.
2. In large projects or projects with multiple landscape installations (i.e., production home developments) an auditing rate of one (1) in seven (7) lots or approximately fifteen percent (15%) will satisfy this requirement.
3. For new construction and rehabilitated landscape projects installed after December 1, 2015, as described in section 15-15A-3 of this chapter:
a. The project applicant must submit an irrigation audit report with the certificate of completion to the local agency which may include, but is not limited to: inspection, system tune up, system test with distribution uniformity, reporting overspray or runoff that causes overland flow, and preparation of an irrigation schedule, including configuring irrigation controllers with application rate, soil types, plant factors, slope, exposure and any other factors necessary for accurate programming;
b. The local agency must administer programs that may include, but not be limited to, irrigation water use analysis, irrigation audits, and irrigation surveys for compliance with the maximum applied water allowance.
E. Irrigation Schedule: Irrigation schedule including:
1. Plant establishment irrigation schedule.
2. Regular irrigation schedule by month including: plant type, root depth, soil type, slope factor, shade factor, irrigation interval (days per week), irrigation day, gallons per minute for each valve, precipitation rate, distribution uniformity and monthly estimated water use calculations.
F. Irrigation Maintenance Schedule: An irrigation maintenance schedule time line must be attached to the certificate of completion that includes:
1. Routine inspections, adjustment and repairs to the irrigation system, aerating and dethatching turf areas, replenishing mulch, fertilizing, pruning and weeding.
2. A final inspection must be performed by City staff to verify compliance. The final building permit approval will not be complete until the landscape inspection is approved.
3. A certified landscape auditor must perform a landscape irrigation audit to obtain certificate of occupancy.
4. Irrigation of all landscaped areas must be conducted in a manner conforming to the rules and requirements, and will be subject to penalties and incentives for water conservation and water waste prevention as determined and implemented by the local water purveyor and the city. (Ord. 1515, 12-15-2015; amd. Ord. 1551, 8-15-2017; Ord. 1620, 11-17-2020; Ord. 1639, 9-20-2022)