The city council finds and determines:
A. A reliable water supply is important to the City of Sacramento's economy, way of life, and many features of the community, including the urban tree canopy and landscapes.
B. To prevent waste and ensure reasonable use of water supplied by the city water distribution system, and protect and promote the public health, safety, and welfare, it is necessary and desirable to enact certain limitations to promote water conservation by city customers for long-term sustainability through unpredictable low-water years.
C. These limitations should be focused on reducing outdoor water use, because the maximum demands for water from the city's water distribution system occur during the summer months, with outdoor irrigation use exceeding all other demands.
D. Water use limitations should be designed to promote the use of irrigation methods that reduce outdoor water use by applying water more efficiently than conventional irrigation methods and result in resilient landscapes with deep root growth.
E. Water use limitations should be designed to protect the City's trees; shrubs; gardens that produce edible fruits and vegetables; residential landscapes that provide ecological benefit; and public playing fields and parks. Healthy trees provide shade to mitigate urban heat island effects and reduce cooling demand of buildings in summer months; reduce greenhouse emissions by acting as a carbon sink; provide soil stabilization; serve as habitat for birds and wildlife; improve public health by filtering air pollution; and contribute to greener neighborhoods.
F. Reduction of water use through water conservation and water use efficiency measures protects and promotes the public health, safety and welfare by conserving a vital resource that is subject to ever-increasing demands.
G. Reduction of water demands through water conservation and water use efficiency measures reduces the per capita amount of water used by city customers, and reduces the city's costs for electrical energy, equipment, and chemicals utilized to pump and treat water supplied to the city water distribution system.
H. By reducing the use of electrical energy, equipment, and chemicals, the reduction of water demands through water conservation and water use efficiency also protects and promotes the public health, safety, and welfare by reducing greenhouse gas emissions associated with the production and transport of electrical energy, equipment, and chemicals. (Ord. 2017-0062 § 1; Ord. 2017-0045 § 1; Ord. 2009-050 § 1; Ord. 2009-026 § 1)