A. Publications. Education is a critical component to promote the efficient use of water in landscapes. The use of appropriate principles of design, installation, management, and maintenance that save water is encouraged in the community.
B. Model Homes. All model homes that are landscaped shall use signs and written information to demonstrate the principles of water efficient landscapes as described.
1. Signs shall be used to identify the model as an example of a water efficient landscape featuring elements such as hydrozones, irrigation equipment, and others that contribute to the overall water efficient theme. Signage shall include information about the site water use as designed per the local ordinance; specify who designed and installed the site water efficient landscape; and demonstrate low water use approaches to landscaping such as using appropriate plants, alternative water sources, or rainwater catchment systems.
2. Information shall be provided about designing, installing, managing, and maintaining water efficient landscapes.
[Note: Authority Cited: Section 65595, Government Code. Reference: Section 65596, Government Code.]
(Ord. 3226 (part), 2016)
(A) This appendix contains prescriptive requirements which may be used as a compliance option to the Ordinance, when compliance is required by the following Sections:
• 15.17.050.H (Site Development Standards for R-1, R-1P, R-2 and R-2P Zone Classifications);
• 15.17.070.G (Site Development Standards for Multi-family and Mobile Home Zone Classifications);
• 15.20.050.E (Development Standards for Planned Residential Development Zone);
• 15.21.060 (Landscaping Requirements for Specific Plan District);
• 15.22.110 (Landscaping for Oil Overlay Zone);
• 15.25.050 (Landscape Requirements for Public Land Zone);
• 15.30.050.G (Site Development Standards for Commercial Zones);
• 15.35.050.J (Site Development Standards for Commercial Greenbelt Zones);
• 15.40.40.G (Site Development Standards for Industrial Zones);
• 15.55.030.C.2.g (Conditionally Permitted Special Uses);
• 15.56.130 (Improvement and Maintenance of Parking);
Compliance with the following items is mandatory and must be documented in a landscape plan in order to use the prescriptive compliance option:
1. Submit a Landscape Documentation Package to the Community Development Department which includes the following elements:
a. Date
b. Project applicant
c. Project address (if available, parcel and/or lot number (s))
d. Total landscape area (square feet), including a breakdown of turf and plant material
e. Project type (e.g., new, rehabilitated, public, private, cemetery, homeowner-installed)
f. Water supply type (e.g., potable, recycled, well) and identify the City of Fullerton Water Utility if the applicant is not served by a private well
g. Contact information for the project applicant and property owner
h. Applicant signature and date with statement, “I agree to comply with the requirements of the prescriptive compliance option to the MWELO”
2. Incorporate compost at a rate of at least four cubic yards per 1,000 square feet to a depth of six inches into landscape area (unless contra-indicated by a soil test);
3. Plant material shall comply with all of the following:
a. For residential areas, install climate adapted plants that require occasional, little or no summer water (average WUCOLS plan factor 0.3) for 75% of the plant area excluding edibles and areas using recycled water; For non-residential areas, install climate adapted plants that require occasional, little or no summer water (average WUCOLS plan factor 0.3) for 100% of the plant area excluding edibles and areas using recycled water;
b. A minimum three inch (3") layer of mulch shall be applied on all exposed soil surfaces of planting areas except in turf areas, creeping or rooting groundcovers, or direct seeding applications where mulch is contraindicated.
4. Turf shall comply with all of the following:
a. Turf shall not exceed 25% of the landscape area in residential areas, and turf shall not be planted in non-residential areas;
b. Turf shall not be planted on sloped areas which exceed a slope of 1 foot vertical elevation change for every 4 feet of horizontal length;
c. Turf is prohibited in parkways less than 10 feet wide, unless the parkway is adjacent to a parking strip and used to enter and exit vehicles. Any turf in parkways must be irrigated by sub-surface irrigation, or by other technology that creates no overspray or runoff.
5. Irrigation systems shall comply with the following:
a. Automatic irrigation controllers are required and must use evapotranspiration or soil moisture sensor data.
b. Irrigation controllers shall be of a type which does not lose programming data in the event the primary power source is interrupted.
c. Pressure regulators shall be installed on the irrigation system to ensure the dynamic pressure of the system is within the manufacturers recommended pressure range.
d. Manual shut-off valves (such as a gate valve, ball valve, or butterfly valve) shall be installed as close as possible to the point of connection of the water supply.
e. All irrigation emission devices must meet the requirements set in the ANSI standard, ASABE/ICC802-2014. “Landscape Irrigation Sprinkler and Emitter Standard.” All Sprinkler heads installed in the landscape must document a distribution uniformity low quarter of 0.65 or higher using the protocol defined in ASABE/ICC 802-2014.
(B) At the completion of the landscape project, the permit applicant must provide the owner of the property with a certificate of completion, certificate of installation, irrigation schedule and a schedule of landscape and irrigation maintenance.
(C) The owner of the property shall provide a copy of the certificate of completion, certificate of installation, irrigation schedule and a schedule of landscape and irrigation maintenance to the Community Development Department and Fullerton Water Utility for final completion of the landscape permit.
(Ord. 3226 (part), 2016)
CERTIFICATION OF LANDSCAPE DESIGN
I hereby certify that:
(1) I am a professional appropriately licensed in the State of California to provide professional landscape design services.
(2) The landscape design and water use calculations for the property located at _____________________________
(provide street address or parcel number(s)) were prepared by me or under my supervision.
(provide street address or parcel number(s)) were prepared by me or under my supervision.
(3) The landscape design and water use calculations for the identified property comply with the requirements of the City of Fullerton Landscaping & Irrigation Requirements (Municipal Code Chapter15.50).
(4) The information I have provided in this Certificate of Landscape Design is true and correct and is hereby submitted in compliance with the City of Fullerton Landscaping & Irrigation Requirements.
Print Name Date
Signature License Number
Address
Telephone E-mail Address
Landscape Design Professional’s Stamp
(If applicable)
(Ord. 3226 (part), 2016)
WATER EFFICIENT LANDSCAPE WORKSHEET
(SEE WORKSHEET INFORMATION & EQUATIONS FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION)
This worksheet is filled out by the project applicant and it is a required item of the Landscape Documentation Package.
Reference Evapotranspiration (ETo)a: Landscape Area Sector Type [ ] Residential
(select one): [ ] Non-Residential
WORKSHEET INFORMATION & EQUATIONS
a Local monthly evapotranspiration rates are listed in Table 15.50.035.A.
b The following table can be used for common plant factors:
Plant Factor | PF |
Very low water use plant | 0.1 |
Low water use plant | 0.2 |
Medium water use plant | 0.5 |
High water use plant | 0.8 |
Lawn | 0.8 |
Pool, spa, or other water feature | 1.0 |
c Irrigation efficiency is derived from measurements and estimates of irrigation system characteristics and management practices. The minimum average irrigation efficiency for purposes of these Guidelines is 0.71. The following irrigation efficiency may be obtained for the listed irrigation heads with an Irrigation Management Efficiency of 90%:
Irrigation Method | IE |
Spray nozzles | 71% |
High efficiency spray nozzles | 73% |
Multi stream/Multi trajectory rotary (MSMT) nozzles | 76% |
Stream rotor nozzle | 73% |
Microspray | 76% |
Bubblers | 77% |
Drip emitter | 81% |
Subsurface drip | 81% |
d Estimated Applied Water Use (EAWU) is the annual gallons required
EAWU = (ETo) x (0.62) x (ETAF x Area)
where, ETo = annual evapotranspiration rate in inches per year
0.62 = factor used to convert inches per year to gallons per square foot
ETAF = plant factor ÷ irrigation efficiency
e Average ETAF for Regular Landscape Areas must be 0.55 or below for residential areas, and 0.45 or below for nonresidential areas.
f Maximum Allowed Water Allowance (MAWA) is the annual gallons allowed
MAWA = (ETo) x (0.62) x [(ETAF x LA) + ((1-ETAF) x SLA)]
where, ETo = annual evapotranspiration rate in inches per year
0.62 = factor used to convert inches per year to gallons per square foot
ETAF = plant factor ÷ irrigation efficiency
LA = total (site wide) landscape area in square feet
SLA = total special landscape area
(Ord. 3226 (part), 2016)
LANDSCAPE INSTALLATION CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION
I hereby certify that:
(1) I am a professional appropriately licensed in the State of California to provide professional landscape design services for :___________________________________________________________________
(project name, mailing address and telephone).
(project name, mailing address and telephone).
(2) The landscape project for the property located at ______________
(provide street address or parcel number(s)) was installed by me or under my supervision.
(provide street address or parcel number(s)) was installed by me or under my supervision.
(3) The landscaping for the identified property has been installed in substantial conformance with the approved Landscape Documentation Package and complies with the requirements of the City of Fullerton Landscaping & Irrigation Requirements (FMC Section 15.50 for the efficient use of water in the landscape.
(4) The following elements are attached hereto:
a. Irrigation scheduling parameters used to set the controller;
b. Landscape and irrigation maintenance schedule;
c. Irrigation audit report; and
d. Soil analysis report, if not submitted with Landscape Documentation Package, and documentation verifying implementation of the soil report recommendations.
(5) The site installation complies with the following:
a. The required irrigation system has been installed according to approved plans and specifications and if applicable, any prior approved irrigation system alternatives.
_____ Yes ____ No
b. Sprinklers comply with ASABE/ICC 802-2014 Landscape Irrigation Sprinkler & Emitter Standard.
_____ Yes ____ No
(6) The information I have provided in this Landscape Installation Certificate of Completion is true and correct and is hereby submitted in compliance with the City of Fullerton Landscape & Irrigation Requirements (FMC 15.50).
Print Name Date
Signature License Number
Address
Telephone E-mail Address
Landscape Design Professional's Stamp
(If Appropriate)
(Ord. 3226 (part), 2016)
DEFINITIONS
“Aggregate” area pertains to production home neighborhoods, common interest developments, or other situations where multiple parcels are undergoing landscape development as one project, but may eventually be individually owned or maintained.
“Backflow prevention device” means a safety device used to prevent pollution or contamination of the water supply due to the reverse flow of water from the irrigation system.
“Check valve” or “anti-drain valve” means a valve located under a sprinkler head, or other location in the irrigation system, to hold water in the system to prevent drainage from sprinkler heads when the sprinkler is off.
“Certified Landscape Irrigation Auditor” means a person certified to perform landscape irrigation audits by an accredited academic institution, a professional trade organization or other program such as the US Environmental Protection Agency’s WaterSense irrigation auditor certification program and Irrigation Association's Certified Landscape Irrigation Auditor program.
“Certification of Design” means the certification included as Exhibit E of these Guidelines that must be included in the Landscape Documentation Package pursuant to Section 2.1 of these Guidelines.
“City” means the City of Fullerton or its authorized designee.
“Common interest developments” means community apartment projects, condominium projects, planned developments, and stock cooperatives per Civil Code Section 1351.
“Distribution Uniformity” or “DU” is a measure of how uniformly an irrigation head applies water to a specific target area and theoretically ranges from zero to 100 percent.
“Drip” irrigation means any non-spray low volume irrigation system utilizing emission devices with a flow rate measured in gallons per hour. Low volume irrigation systems are specifically designed to apply small volumes of water slowly at or near the root zone of plants.
“Emitter” means a drip irrigation emission device that delivers water slowly from the system to the soil.
“Estimated Applied Water Use” or “EAWU” means the annual total amount of water estimated to keep plants in a healthy state. It is based on factors such as reference evapotranspiration rate, the size of the landscape area, plant water use factors, and the irrigation efficiency within each hydrozone.
“Evapotranspiration adjustment factor” or “ETAF” means a factor of 0.7, that, when applied to reference evapotranspiration, adjusts for plant factors and irrigation efficiency, two major influences upon the amount of water that needs to be applied to the landscape. A combined plant mix with a site-wide average of 0.5 is the basis of the plant factor portion of this calculation. For purposes of the ETAF, the average irrigation efficiency is 0.71. Therefore, the ET Adjustment Factor is (0.7)=(0.5/0.71). ETAF for a Special Landscape Area shall not exceed 1.0. ETAF for existing non-rehabilitated landscapes is 0.8.
“Evapotranspiration rate” means the quantity of water evaporated from adjacent soil and other surfaces and transpired by plants during a specified time.
“Flow rate” means the rate at which water flows through pipes, valves and emission devices, measured in gallons per minute, gallons per hour, or cubic feet per second.
“Hardscapes” means any durable material or feature (pervious and non-pervious) installed in or around a landscape area, such as pavements or walls. Pools and other water features are considered part of the landscape area and not considered hardscapes for purposes of these Guidelines.
“Graywater” means a system untreated wastewater that has not been contaminated by any toilet discharge, has not been affected by infectious, contaminated, or unhealthy bodily wastes, and does not present a threat from contamination by unhealthy processing, manufacturing, or operating wastes. Graywater includes, but is not limited to, wastewater from bathtubs, showers, bathroom washbasins, clothes washing machines. And laundry tubs, but does not include wastewater from kitchen sinks or dishwashers as per the Health and Safety Code (Section 17922.12). Graywater systems promote the efficient use of water and are encouraged to assist in on-site landscape irrigation. All graywater systems shall conform to the California Plumbing Code (Title 24, Part 5, Chapter 16) and any applicable local ordinance standards.
“Hydrozone” means a portion of the landscape area having plants with similar water needs and typically irrigated by one valve/controller station. A hydrozone may be irrigated or non-irrigated.
“Infiltration rate” means the rate of water entry into the soil expressed as a depth of water per unit of time (e.g., inches per hour).
“Invasive” plants species or “noxious” means species of plants not historically found in California that spread outside cultivated areas and can damage environmental or economic resources. Invasive plant species may be regulated by county agricultural agencies as noxious species.
“Irrigation audit” means an in-depth evaluation of the performance of an irrigation system conducted by a Certified Landscape Irrigation Auditor. An irrigation audit includes, but is not limited to: inspection, system tune-up, system test with distribution uniformity or emission uniformity, reporting overspray or runoff that causes overland flow, and preparation of an irrigation schedule.
“Irrigation Management Efficiency” or “IME” means the measurement used to calculate the irrigation efficiency of the irrigation system for a landscaped project. A 90% IME can be achieved by using evaportranspiration controllers, soil moisture sensors, and other methods that will adjust irrigation run times to meet plant water needs.
“Irrigation efficiency” or “IE” means the measurement of the amount of water beneficially used divided by the amount of water applied to a landscape area. Irrigation efficiency is derived from measurements and estimates of irrigation system characteristics and management practices. The minimum average irrigation efficiency for purposes of these Guidelines is 0.71. Greater irrigation efficiency can be expected from well designed and maintained systems. The following irrigation efficiency may be obtained for the listed irrigation heads with an IME of 90%:
Irrigation Method | DULQ | DULH* |
EU | IE* * |
Irrigation Method | DULQ | DULH* |
EU | IE* * |
Spray nozzles | 65% | 79% | 71% | |
High efficiency spray nozzles | 70% | 82% | 73% | |
Multi stream/Multi trajectory rotary (MSMT) nozzles | 75% | 85% | 76% | |
Stream rotor nozzle | 70% | 82% | 73% | |
Microspray | 75% | 85% | 76% | |
Bubblers | 85 % | 77% | ||
Drip emitter | 90 % | 81% | ||
Subsurface drip | 90 % | 81% | ||
*DULH = .386 + (.614)(DULQ)
** IE (spray) = (DULH)(IME)
** IE (drip) = Emission uniformity (EU)(IME)
“Landscape coefficient” (KL ) is the product of a plant factor multiplied by a density factor and a microclimate factor. The landscape coefficient is derived to estimate water loss from irrigated landscape areas and special landscape areas.
“Landscape Documentation Package” means the package of documents that a project applicant is required to submit to the City pursuant to Section 2.1 of these Guidelines.
“Landscape Installation Certificate of Completion” means the certificate included as Exhibit F of these Guidelines that must be submitted to the City pursuant to Section 2.7(a)(1) of hereof.
“Landscape professional” means a licensed landscape architect, licensed landscape contractor, or any other person authorized to design a landscape pursuant to Sections 5500.1, 5615, 5641, 5641.1, 5641.2, 5641.3, 5641.4, 5641.5, 5641.6, 6701, 7027.5 of the California Business and Professions Code, Section 832.27 of Title16 of the California Code of Regulations, and Section 6721 of the California Food and Agriculture Code.
“Landscape area” means all the planting areas, turf areas, and water features in a landscape design plan subject to the Maximum Applied Water Allowance and Estimated Applied Water Use calculations. The landscape area does not include footprints of buildings or structures, sidewalks, driveways, parking lots, decks, patios, gravel or stone walks, other pervious or non-pervious hardscapes, and other non-irrigated areas designated for non-development (e.g., open spaces and existing native vegetation).
“Lateral line” means the water delivery pipeline that supplies water to the emitters or sprinklers from the valve.
“Low volume irrigation” means the application of irrigation water at low pressure through a system of tubing or lateral lines and low volume emitters such as drip, drip lines, and bubblers. Low volume irrigation systems are specifically designed to apply small volumes of water slowly at or near the root zone of plants.
“Low volume overhead irrigation” means aboveground irrigation heads with an upper flow limit of 0.5 GPM.
“Main line” means the pressurized pipeline that delivers water from the water source to the valve or outlet.
“Manual Isolation Valve” means a valve such as a gate valve, ball valve, or butterfly valve installed downstream of the point of connection of the water supply to shutdown water flow through mainline piping for routine maintenance and emergency repair.
“Master shut-off valve” an electronic valve such as a solenoid valve installed as close as possible to the point of connection and is used in conjunction with a flow sensor and flow monitoring controller technology to automatically shut down system wide water flow in the event of high flow conditions such as mainline pipe break.
“Maximum Applied Water Allowance” or “MAWA” means the upper limit of annual applied water for the established landscape area, as specified in Section 2.2 of these Guidelines. It is based upon the area’s reference evapotranspiration, the ETAF, and the size of the landscape area. The Estimated Applied Water Use shall not exceed the Maximum Applied Water Allowance.
“Microclimate” means the climate of a small, specific area that may contrast with the climate of the overall landscape area due to factors such as wind, sun exposure, plant density, or proximity to reflective surfaces.
“Mulch” means any organic material such as leaves, bark, straw or compost, or inorganic mineral materials such as rocks, gravel, or decomposed granite left loose and applied to the soil surface for the beneficial purposes of reducing evaporation, suppressing weeds, moderating soil temperature, and preventing soil erosion.
“Non-pervious” means any surface or natural material that does not allow for the passage of water through the material and into the underlying soil.
“Operating pressure” means the pressure at which the parts of an irrigation system of sprinklers are designed to operate at by the manufacturer.
“Overspray” means the irrigation water which is delivered beyond the target area.
“Person” means any natural person, firm, joint venture, joint stock company, partnership, public or private association, club, company, corporation, business trust, organization, public or private agency, government agency or institution, school district, college, university, any other user of water provided by the City or the City of Fullerton Water Utility, or the manager, lessee, agent, servant, officer, or employee of any of them or any other entity which is recognized by law as the subject of rights or duties.
“Pervious” means any surface or material that allows the passage of water through the material and into the underlying soil.
“Plant factor” or “plant water use factor” is a factor, when multiplied by ETo that estimates the amount of water needed by plants. For purposes of this Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance, the plant factor range for low water use plants is 0 to 0.3; the plant factor range for moderate water use plants is 0.4 to 0.6; and the plant factor range for high water use plants is 0.7 to 1.0. Plant factors cited in these Guidelines are derived from the Department of Water Resources 2000 publication “Water Use Classification of Landscape Species.”
“Precipitation rate” means the rate of application of water measured in inches per hour.
“Project applicant” means the person submitting a Landscape Documentation Package required under Section 2.1 to request a permit, plan check, or design review from the local agency. A project applicant may be the property owner or his or her designee.
“Property owner” or “owner” means the record owner of real property as shown on the most recently issued equalized assessment roll.
“Reference evapotranspiration” or “ETo” means a standard measurement of environmental parameters which affect the water use of plants. ETo is given expressed in inches per day, month, or year as represented in Appendix C of these Guidelines, and is an estimate of the evapotranspiration of a large field of four to seven-inch tall, cool-season grass that is well watered. Reference evapotranspiration is used as the basis of determining the Maximum Applied Water Allowances.
“Recycled water” or “reclaimed water” means treated or recycled waste water of a quality suitable for non-potable uses such as landscape irrigation and water features. This water is not intended for human consumption.
“Runoff” means water which is not absorbed by the soil or landscape to which it is applied and flows from the landscape area. For example, runoff may result from water that is applied at too great a rate (application rate exceeds infiltration rate) or when there is a slope.
“Special Landscape Areas” or “SLA” means an area of the landscape dedicated solely to edible plants such as orchards and vegetable gardens, areas irrigated with recycled water, water features using recycled water, and areas dedicated to active play such as community pools and spas, parks, sports fields, golf courses, and where turf provides a playing surface.
“Sprinkler head” means a device which delivers water through a nozzle.
“Static water pressure” means the pipeline or municipal water supply pressure when water is not flowing.
“Station” means an area served by one valve or by a set of valves that operate simultaneously.
“Swing joint” means an irrigation component that provides a leak-free connection between the emission device and lateral pipeline to allow movement in any direction and to prevent equipment damage.
“Turf” means a ground cover surface of mowed grass. Annual bluegrass, Kentucky bluegrass, Perennial ryegrass, Red fescue, and Tall fescue are cool-season grasses. Bermudagrass, Kikuyugrass, Seashore Paspalum, St. Augustinegrass, Zoysiagrass, and Buffalo grass are warm-season grasses.
“Valve” means a device used to control the flow of water in an irrigation system.
“Water feature” means a design element where open water performs an aesthetic or recreational function. Water features include ponds, lakes, waterfalls, fountains, artificial streams, spas, and swimming pools (where water is artificially supplied). The surface area of water features is included in the high water use hydrozone of the landscape area. Constructed wetlands used for on-site wastewater treatment, habitat protection, or storm water best management practices that are not irrigated and used solely for water treatment or storm water retention are not water features and, therefore, are not subject to the water budget calculation.
“Watering window” means the time of day irrigation is allowed.
“WUCOLS” means the Water Use Classification of Landscape published by the University of California Cooperative Extension, the Department of Water Resources, and the Bureau of Reclamation, 2000. www.owue.water.ca.gov/docs/wucols00.
(Ord. 3226 (part), 2016)