(a) For those projects eligible to utilize and electing to use the Prescriptive Compliance Option to comply with this chapter, the following items are mandatory and must be submitted to the Director of PDS:
(1) A Prescriptive Compliance Option Plan 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, modified, public, private, cemetery, homeowner-installed)
(F) water supply type (e.g., potable, recycled, well, graywater) and identify the local retail water purveyor 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 contained in Title 8, Division 6, Chapter 7, of the San Diego County Code of Regulatory Ordinances related to water conservation in landscaping.
(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 in which prescribed volumes of compost can be modified as approved by the Director);
(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 plant factor 0.3) for 75 percent 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 plant factor 0.3) for 100 percent of the plant area excluding edibles and areas using recycled water;
(B) a minimum three inch (3 inch) 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. Prescribed depths of mulch and location may be modified as approved by the Director;
(C) to increase carbon sequestration in the unincorporated county, each new single-family residential project shall include two trees per dwelling unit. Trees shall be located on private land outside of the public right-of-way. See the County's Water Efficient Landscape Design Manual for tree planting guidelines and a definition of which single-family residential projects must comply with this requirement.
(4) Irrigated turf shall comply with all of the following:
(A) Turf shall not exceed 25 percent of the landscape area in residential areas, and there shall be no turf 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 and utilize a rain sensor.
(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/ICC 802-2014, "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.
(F) Areas less than 10 feet in width in any direction shall be irrigated with subsurface irrigation or other means that produces no runoff or overspray.
(6) For non-residential projects with landscape areas of 1,000 square feet or more, a private submeter(s) to measure landscape water use shall be installed. Flow sensors connected to an automatic irrigation controller may also function as a landscape water meter, provided they accurately measure and record water applied to the landscape.
(b) At the time of final inspection, 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.
(Added by Ord. No. 10427 (N.S.), effective 5-27-16)