For the purpose of this chapter, the following definitions shall apply unless the context clearly indicates or requires a different meaning.
APPLIED WATER. The portion of water supplied by the irrigation system to the landscape.
AUTOMATIC IRRIGATION CONTROLLER. An automatic timing device used to remotely control valves that operate an irrigation system. Automatic irrigation controllers schedule irrigation events using either evapotranspiration (weather-based) or soil moisture data.
BACKFLOW PREVENTION DEVICE. A safety device used to prevent pollution or contamination of the water supply due to the reverse flow of water from the irrigation system.
CERTIFIED IRRIGATION DESIGNER. A person certified to design irrigation systems by an accredited academic institution, a professional trade organization or other program such as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s WaterSense irrigation designer certification program and Irrigation Association’s Certified Irrigation Designer program.
CERTIFIED LANDSCAPE IRRIGATION AUDITOR. A person certified to perform landscape irrigation audits by an accredited academic institution, a professional trade organization or other program such as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s WaterSense irrigation auditor certification program and Irrigation Association’s Certified Landscape Irrigation Auditor program.
CHECK VALVE or ANTI-DRAIN VALVE. 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.
COMMON INTEREST DEVELOPMENTS. Community apartment projects, condominium projects, planned developments, and stock cooperatives per California Civil Code § 1351.
CONVERSION FACTOR. The number that converts acre-inches per acre per year to gallons per square foot per year.
DRIP IRRIGATION. 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.
ECOLOGICAL RESTORATION PROJECT. A project where the site is intentionally altered to establish a defined, indigenous, historic ecosystem.
EFFECTIVE PRECIPITATION or USABLE RAINFALL. The portion of total precipitation which becomes available for plant growth.
EMITTER. Delivers water from the system to the landscape area.
ESTABLISHED LANDSCAPE. The point at which plants in the landscape have developed significant root growth into the soil. Typically, most plants are established after one or two years of growth.
ESTABLISHMENT PERIOD OF THE PLANTS. The first year after installing the plant in the landscape or the first two years if irrigation will be terminated after establishment. Typically, most plants are established after one or two years of growth.
ET ADJUSTMENT FACTOR (ETAF). A factor 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.
EVAPOTRANSPIRATION RATE. The quantity of water evaporated from adjacent soil and other surfaces and transpired by plants during a specified time.
FLOW RATE. 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. Any durable material (pervious and non-pervious).
HOMEOWNER-PROVIDED LANDSCAPING. Any landscaping either installed by a private individual for a single-family residence or installed by a licensed contractor hired by a homeowner.
HYDROZONE. A portion of the landscaped area having plants with similar water needs. A hydrozone may be irrigated or non-irrigated.
INFILTRATION RATE. The rate of water entry into the soil expressed as a depth of water per unit of time (e.g., inches per hour).
INVASIVE PLANT SPECIES. Species of plants not historically found in California that spread outside cultivated areas and can damage environmental or economic resources. Invasive species may be regulated by county agricultural agencies as noxious species. “Noxious weeds” means any weed designated by the Weed Control Regulations in the Weed Control Act and identified on a regional district noxious weed control list. Lists of invasive plants are maintained at the California Invasive Plant Inventory and USDA invasive and noxious weeds database.
IRRIGATION AUDIT. 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 EFFICIENCY (IE). The measurement of the amount of water beneficially used divided by the amount of water applied. Irrigation efficiency is derived from measurements and estimates of irrigation system characteristics and management practices. The minimum average irrigation efficiency for purposes of this chapter is 0.71. Greater irrigation efficiency can be expected from well designed and maintained systems.
IRRIGATION SURVEY. An evaluation of an irrigation system that includes, but is not limited to: inspection and system wide review.
IRRIGATION WATER USE ANALYSIS. An analysis of water use data based on meter readings and billing data.
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT. A person who holds a license to practice landscape architecture in the California Business and Professions Code, § 5615.
LANDSCAPE AREA. All of the planting areas, turf areas, and water features in a landscape design plan subject to the maximum applied water allowance calculation. 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).
LANDSCAPE CONTRACTOR. A person licensed by the state to construct, maintain, repair, install, or subcontract the development of landscape systems.
LANDSCAPE PROJECT. Total area of landscape in a project as defined in “landscape area” for the purposes of this chapter, meeting requirements under § 27.3-1.
LATERAL LINE. The water delivery pipeline that supplies water to the emitters or sprinklers from the valve.
LOCAL AGENCY. A city or county, including a charter city or charter county, that is responsible for adopting and implementing the ordinance. The local agency is also responsible for the enforcement of this chapter, including but not limited to, approval of a permit and plan check or design review of a project.
LOCAL WATER PURVEYOR. Any entity, including a public agency, city, county, or private water company, that provides retail water service.
LOW VOLUME IRRIGATION. 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.
MAIN LINE. The pressurized pipeline that delivers water from the water source to the valve or outlet.
MAXIMUM APPLIED WATER ALLOWANCE (MAWA). The upper limit of annual applied water for the established landscaped area as specified in § 27.3-4. It is based upon the area’s reference evapotranspiration, the ET adjustment factor, and the size of the landscape area.
MICROCLIMATE. 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.
MINED LAND RECLAMATION PROJECTS. Any surface mining operation with a reclamation plan approved in accordance with the Surface Mining and Reclamation Act of 1975.
MULCH. Any organic material such as leaves, bark, straw, compost, or inorganic mineral materials such as rocks, gravel, and 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.
NEW CONSTRUCTION. A process to develop a new building(s) (non-existing building) or structure with a landscape for which a building permit is required.
OPERATING PRESSURE. The pressure at which the parts of an irrigation system are designed by the manufacturer to operate.
OVERHEAD SPRINKLER IRRIGATION SYSTEMS. Systems that deliver water through the air (e.g., spray heads and rotors).
OVERSPRAY. The irrigation water which is delivered beyond the landscape area.
PERMIT. An authorizing document issued by local agencies for Building Department purposes.
PERVIOUS. 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. A factor, when multiplied by ETo, estimates the amount of water needed by plants. For purposes of this chapter, 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 this chapter are derived from the Department of Water Resources 2000 publication, “Water Use Classification of Landscape Species”.
PRECIPITATION RATE. The rate of application of water measured in inches per hour.
PROJECT APPLICANT. The individual or entity submitting a Landscape Documentation Package as described under § 27.3-3, 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.
RAIN SENSOR or RAIN SENSING SHUTOFF DEVICE. A component which automatically suspends an irrigation event when it rains.
RECORD DRAWING or AS BUILDS. A set of reproducible drawings which show significant changes in the work made during construction and which are usually based on drawings marked up in the field and other data furnished by the contractor.
RECREATIONAL AREA. Private areas dedicated to active play such as parks, sports fields, and golf courses where turf provides a playing surface.
RECYCLED WATER or RECLAIMED WATER TREATED SEWAGE EFFLUENT WATER. 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.
REFERENCE EVAPOTRANSPIRATION or ETo. A standard measurement of environmental parameters which affect the water use of plants. ETo is expressed in inches per day, month, or year as represented in § 27.3-19, 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 allowance so that regional differences in climate can be accommodated.
REHABILITATED LANDSCAPE. Any private landscaping project that requires a permit, plan check, or design review, meets the requirements of § 27.3-1 and the modified landscape area is equal to or greater than 5,000 square feet, is 50% of the total landscape area, and the modifications are completed within one year.
RUNOFF. 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.
SOIL MOISTURE SENSING DEVICE or SOIL MOISTURE SENSOR. A device that measures the amount of water in the soil. The device may also suspend or initiate an irrigation event.
SOIL TEXTURE. The classification of soil based on its percentage of sand, silt, and clay.
SPECIAL LANDSCAPE AREA (SLA). An area of the landscape dedicated solely to edible plants, areas irrigated with recycled water, water features using recycled water and areas dedicated to active play such as parks, sports fields, golf courses, and where turf provides a playing surface.
SPRINKLER HEAD. A device which delivers water through a nozzle.
STATIC WATER PRESSURE. The pipeline or municipal water supply pressure when water is not flowing.
STATION. An area served by one valve or by a set of valves that operate simultaneously.
SWING JOINT. An irrigation component that provides a flexible, leak-free connection between the emission device and lateral pipeline to allow movement in any direction and to prevent equipment damage.
TURF. 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. A device used to control the flow of water in the irrigation system.
WATER CONSERVING PLANT SPECIES. A plant species identified as having a low plant factor.
WATER FEATURE. A design element where open water provides an aesthetic purpose. WATER FEATURES include ponds, lakes, waterfalls, fountains, artificial streams, or pools of water for aesthetic purposes only.
WATER WINDOW. The time of day irrigation is allowed.
WUCOLS. The “Water Use Classification of Landscape Species” published by the University of California Cooperative Extension, the Department of Water Resources and the Bureau of Reclamation, 2000.
(Ord. 1005, passed 8-3-2010)