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All irrigation systems shall be designed, installed, maintained, altered, repaired, serviced and operated in a manner that shall prevent the waste of water, promotes the most efficient use of water, and applies the least amount of water that is required to maintain healthy individual plant material or turf, reduce dust and control erosion.
(Ord. 18444-01-2009, § 1, passed 1-13-2009)
(a) An irrigator shall prepare an irrigation plan as described in subsection (d) below, for each site prior to installation or alteration of an irrigation system. An easily available paper or electronic copy of the irrigation plan must be on site at all times during such installation of the irrigation system.
(b) During the installation or alteration of the irrigation system, variances from the original plan are allowable if noted in red on the irrigation plan, and provided that the change(s) does not:
(1) Diminish the operational integrity of the irrigation system; nor
(2) Violate any requirement of this Article VII.
(c) The irrigation plan must include complete coverage of the area to be irrigated. If a system does not provide complete coverage of the area to be irrigated, it must be noted on the irrigation plan.
(d) All irrigation plans must be drawn to scale. The plan shall include the following information:
(1) The irrigator’s seal, signature and date of signing;
(2) All major physical features and the boundaries of the areas to be watered;
(3) A north arrow;
(4) A legend;
(5) The zone flow measurement for each zone;
(6) Location and type each automatic controller and sensor (such as rain, moisture, wind, flow or freeze sensors);
(7) Location, type and size of each:
a. Water source, such as, but not limited to, a water meter and point(s) of connection;
b. Backflow prevention assembly;
c. Water emission device, including, but not limited to, spray heads, rotary sprinkler heads, quick-couplers, bubblers, drip or micro-sprays;
d. Valve, including but not limited to, zone valves, master valves and isolation valves;
e. Pressure regulation component; and
f. Main line and lateral piping.
(8) The scale used; and
(9) The design pressure.
(e) An irrigator commits an offense if the irrigator fails to provide an irrigation plan for the irrigation system that person installed or caused to be installed as required herein.
(Ord. 18444-01-2009, § 1, passed 1-13-2009)
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)
Upon completion of the irrigation system installation or alteration, the irrigator or irrigation technician who provided supervision for the on-site installation shall complete the following:
(a) The irrigator or irrigation technician shall perform a final walk-through inspection with the irrigation system’s owner or the owner’s representative. The walk-through shall include a review of the those items on the maintenance checklist as described in subsection (b) below;
(b) The items on the maintenance checklist required in subsection (a) above shall include:
(1) The irrigator’s name, license number, company name, telephone number;
(2) The location of the water meter, isolation valve, backflow prevention assembly, sprinkler heads, drip or pressure compensating tubing irrigation, rain or moisture and freeze shut-off device;
(3) The irrigation plan;
(4) The manufacturer’s manual for the automatic controller;
(5) A seasonal (spring, summer, fall, winter) watering schedule based on either current/real time evapotranspiration or monthly historical reference evapotranspiration (historical ET) data, monthly effective rainfall estimates, plant landscape coefficient factors and site factors;
(6) A list of components, such as the nozzle, or pump filters, and other such components that require maintenance and the recommended frequency for the service; and
(7) The following statement:
“This irrigation system has been installed in accordance with all applicable state and local laws, ordinances, rules, regulations or orders. I have tested the system and determined that it has been installed according to the irrigation plan and is properly adjusted for the most efficient application of water at this time.”
(c) The irrigator or irrigation technician shall obtain the signature of the irrigation system’s owner or owner’s representative on the maintenance checklist which evidences that a walk-through by the two parties was performed and included a review of those items in subsection (b) above. If the irrigation system’s owner or owner’s representative is unwilling or unable to sign the maintenance checklist, the irrigator or irrigation technician shall note the time and date of the refusal on the irrigation system’s owner or owner’s representative’s signature line.
(d) The irrigator or the irrigation technician shall provide the irrigation system owner or owner’s representative the signed original maintenance checklist and a copy of the irrigation plan.
(e) The irrigator or irrigation technician shall permanently affix the irrigator’s name, license number, company name, telephone number to each automatic controller installed by the irrigator or irrigation technician. The information must be waterproof.
(f) In the event that the irrigation system owner or owner representative is a residential home builder, then a copy of the irrigation plan indicating the actual installation of the system and corresponding maintenance checklist must be placed within or attached to the automatic controller when such home is sold. A signed statement from the new owner and the residential home builder, or builder’s representative, stating they have received and transferred, respectively, a copy of the irrigation plan and maintenance checklist must be provided to the city’s water department within 30 days of the transfer to the new owner.
(g) A person commits an offense if that person fails to comply with the terms of this section.
(Ord. 18444-01-2009, § 1, passed 1-13-2009)
(a) Upon completion of the irrigation system installation or alteration, and after review of the irrigation system by the owner as provided for in §§ 35-166(a) through (f), the irrigator or irrigation technician, or property owner shall request an inspection of the irrigation system by the city’s water department. Such irrigation system shall not be used without the city’s completed inspection and approval that such irrigation system complies with Article VII.
(b) A person commits an offense if that person uses, allows to be used or causes to be used an irrigation system which has not passed the city’s inspection and has not received the city’s approval for its use.
(Ord. 18444-01-2009, § 1, passed 1-13-2009)
(a) An irrigator is responsible for all work that the irrigator performs during the installation, maintenance, alteration, repair or service of an irrigation system.
(b) All trenches and holes created during the maintenance, alteration, repair or service of an irrigation system must be returned to the original grade with compacted select backfill by the irrigator who caused such work to occur.
(c) Colored PVC pipe primer solvent must be used on all pipes and fittings used in the maintenance, alteration, repair or service of an irrigation system in accordance with the city’s plumbing code, as it may be amended.
(d) When maintenance, repair or service of an irrigation system involves excavation work at the water meter or backflow prevention assembly, an isolation valve shall be installed, if an isolation valve is not present.
(e) A person commits an offense if that performs or causes to be performed any maintenance, alteration, repair or service of an irrigation system in violation of the section.
(f) The city shall not bear any responsibility to the owner of an irrigation system to modify or upgrade the irrigation if the city exposes the mainline during maintenance of the city’s water system.
(Ord. 18444-01-2009, § 1, passed 1-13-2009)
(a) Reclaimed water may be utilized in the irrigation systems if:
(1) There is an written agreement between the city and the owner/operator of the irrigation system;
(2) The user complies with Tex. Administrative Code Title 30, Chapter 210, titled “Use of Reclaimed Water;”
(3) There is no direct contact with edible crops, unless the crop is pasteurized before consumption;
(4) The irrigation system does not spray water across property lines that do not belong to the irrigation system’s owner;
(5) The irrigation system is installed using purple components;
(6) The domestic potable water line is connected using an air gap or a reduced pressure principle backflow prevention device, in accordance with Tex. Administrative Code Title 30, § 290.47(i);
(7) A minimum of an eight-inch by eight-inch sign, in English and Spanish, is prominently posted on/in the area that is being irrigated, that reads, “RECLAIMED WATER - DO NOT DRINK” and “AGUA DE RECUPERACIÓN - NO BEBER;” and
(8) The backflow prevention on the reclaimed water supply line complies with the city code requirements and other applicable laws.
(b) A person may not use or connect any alternative water supply sources, such as, but not limited to, gray water or harvested rain water without the prior written approval of the city’s water director.
(c) A person commits and offense if that person uses or causes to be used reclaimed water or any other source or supply of water in violation of this section.
(Ord. 18444-01-2009, § 1, passed 1-13-2009)
(a) All vehicles used in the performance of irrigation installation, maintenance, alteration, repair or service must display the irrigator’s license number in the form of “LI____________” in a contrasting color of block letters at least two inches high, on both sides of the vehicle.
(b) All forms of written and electronic advertisements for irrigation services must display the irrigator’s license number in the form of “LI____________.” Any form of advertisement, including business cards, and estimates which displays an entity’s or individual’s name other than that of the irrigator must also display the name of the irrigator and the licensed irrigator’s license number.
(c) Additionally, the name, mailing address and telephone number of the TCEQ must be prominently displayed on a legible sign and displayed in plain view for the purpose of addressing complaints at the permanent structure where irrigation business is primarily conducted and irrigation records are kept.
(d) A person commits an offense if that person uses or causes to be used any advertisement in violation of this section.
(Ord. 18444-01-2009, § 1, passed 1-13-2009)
On all installations of irrigation systems or maintenance, alterations, repairs or service to existing irrigation systems, an irrigator shall present the irrigation system’s owner or owner’s representative a written document that identifies the materials furnished in the maintenance, alteration, repair or service. If a warranty is provided, the irrigator must specify the irrigator’s name, business address and business telephone number(s), must contain the signature of the irrigation system’s owner or owner’s representative confirming receipt of the warranty and must include the statement:
Irrigation in Texas is regulated by the Texas commission on environmental quality (TCEQ), MC-178, P.O. Box 130897, Austin, Texas 78711-3087. TCEQ’s website is: www.tceq.state.tx.us.
(Ord. 18444-01-2009, § 1, passed 1-13-2009)
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