Any person who installs or alters an irrigation system (or who causes such installation or alteration) shall comply with the following minimum requirements.
(a) Manufacturer’s specifications. A person shall not install nor cause to be installed, an irrigation system which requires the use of any component, including the water meter, in a way which exceeds the manufacturer’s published performance limitations for the component.
(b) Spacing.
(1) The maximum spacing between emission devices shall not exceed the manufacturer’s published radius or spacing of the device(s). The radius or spacing shall be determined by the manufacturer’s published specifications for a specific emission device at a specific operating pressure.
(2) a. New or altered irrigation systems shall not utilize above-ground spray emission devices in landscapes:
1. That are less than 60 inches (which shall not include the impervious surfaces in either length or width); and
2. Which contain impervious pedestrian or vehicular traffic surfaces along two or more perimeters.
b. Qualifying areas less than 60 inches may be irrigated utilizing subsurface or drip irrigation, pressure compensating tubing, or be designed without irrigation. If pop-up sprays or rotary sprinkler heads are used in a new irrigation system, the sprinkler heads must direct flow away from any adjacent surface and shall not be installed closer than four inches from a hardscape, such as, but not limited to, a building foundation, fence, concrete, asphalt, pavers or stones set with mortar.
(3) Narrow paved walkways, jogging paths, golf cart paths or other small areas located in cemeteries, parks, golf courses or other public areas may be exempted from this requirement if the runoff drains into a landscaped area.
(c) Water pressure. Emission devices must be installed to operate at the minimum and not above the maximum sprinkler head pressure as published by the manufacturer for the nozzle and head spacing that is used. Methods to achieve the water pressure requirements include, but are not limited to, flow control valves, a pressure regulator or pressure compensating spray heads.
(d) Piping. Piping in irrigation systems must be designed and installed so that the flow of water in the pipe will not exceed a velocity of five feet per second for polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipe.
(e) Irrigation zones. Irrigation systems shall have separate zones based on plant material type, microclimate factors, topographic features, soil conditions and hydrological requirements.
(f) Matched precipitation rate. Zones must be designed and installed so that all of the emission devices in that zone irrigate at the same precipitation rate.
(g) Spray. Irrigation systems shall not spray water over surfaces made of concrete, asphalt, brick, wood, stones set with mortar, or any other impervious material, such as, but not limited to, walls, fences, sidewalks, streets, etc.
(h) Foundations. If the irrigation plan includes a foundation watering system, a separate station shall be dedicated for drip irrigation.
(i) Master valve. A flow control master valve shall be installed on the discharge side of the backflow prevention assembly on all new installations.
(j) Check valves. Check valves are required where elevation differences may result in low head drainage. Check valves may be located at the sprinkler head(s) or on the lateral line.
(k) Pop-up heads. Pop-up heads shall be installed at grade level and operated to extend above all landscape turfgrass.
(l) PVC pipe primer solvent. All new irrigation systems that are installed using PVC pipe and fittings shall be primed with a colored primer prior to applying the PVC cement in accordance with the city’s plumbing code, as it may be amended.
(m) Automatic controllers. All new irrigation systems must include an automatic controller capable of providing the following features:
(1) Multiple irrigation programs with at least three start times per program;
(2) Limiting the irrigation frequency to once every seven days and once every 14 days; and
(3) A water budgeting feature.
(n) Operational rain or moisture and freeze shut-off devices or other technology. All new automatically controlled irrigation systems must include operational sensors or other technology designed to inhibit or interrupt operation of the irrigation system during periods of freezing weather and moisture or rainfall in accordance with city code § 35-152. Freeze and rain or moisture shut-off technology must be installed according to the manufacturer’s published recommendations. Repairs or alterations to existing automatic irrigation systems that require replacement of an existing controller must include an operational sensor or other technology designed to inhibit or interrupt operation of the irrigation system during periods of freezing weather and moisture or rainfall.
(o) Isolation valve. All irrigation systems must include an isolation valve between the water meter and the backflow prevention assembly.
(p) Depth coverage of piping. Piping in all irrigation systems must be installed according to the manufacturer’s published specifications for depth coverage of piping.
(1) If the manufacturer has not published specifications for depth coverage of piping, the piping must be installed to provide minimum depth coverage of six inches of select backfill, between the top of the pipe and the natural grade of the topsoil. All portions of the irrigation system that fail to meet this standard must be noted on the irrigation plan. If the area being irrigated has rock at a depth of six inches or less, select backfill may be mounded over the pipe. Mounding must be noted on the irrigation plan and discussed with the irrigation system owner or owner’s representative to address any safety issues.
(2) If a utility, human-made structure or roots create an unavoidable obstacle, which makes the six-inch depth coverage requirement impractical, the piping shall be installed to provide a minimum of two inches of select backfill between the top of the pipe and the natural grade of the topsoil.
(3) All trenches and holes created during installation of an irrigation system must be backfilled and compacted to the original grade.
(q) Wiring irrigation systems.
(1) Underground electrical wiring used to connect an automatic controller to any electrical component of the irrigation system must be listed by Underwriters Laboratories as acceptable for burial underground.
(2) Electrical wiring that connects any electrical components of an irrigation system must be sized according to the manufacturer’s recommendation.
(3) Electrical wire splices which may be exposed to moisture must be waterproof as certified by the wire splice manufacturer.
(4) Underground electrical wiring that connects an automatic controller to any electrical component of the irrigation system must be buried with a minimum of six inches of select backfill.
(r) No potable use. Water contained within the piping of an irrigation system shall be deemed to be non-potable. No drinking or domestic water usage, such as, but not limited to, filling swimming pools or decorative fountains, shall be connected to an irrigation system. If a hose bib is connected to an irrigation system for the purpose of providing supplemental water to an area, the hose bib must be installed using a quick coupler key on a quick coupler installed in a covered purple valve box and the hose bib and any hoses connected to the bib must be labeled “nonpotable, not safe for drinking.” An isolation valve must be installed upstream of a quick coupler connecting a hose bib to an irrigation system.
(s) Y-strainer. A Y-type strainer must be installed on the inlet side of the double check valve.
(t) Backflow. A backflow prevention assembly shall be installed and used in compliance with Chapter 12.5, Article V, Division 3, Cross-Connection Control.
(u) Effective January 1, 2010, a licensed irrigator shall:
(1) Be on-site at all times while the landscape irrigation system is being installed; or
(2) Ensure that a licensed irrigation technician is on-site to supervise the installation of the irrigation system.
(v) Offense. A person commits an offense if a person who installs, allows or causes to be installed an irrigation system which does not meet the minimum design requirements described in this section.
(Ord. 18444-01-2009, § 1, passed 1-13-2009)