Loading...
All projects requiring the issuance of a water use authorization that have installed approved landscaping and irrigation, shall submit to the Director of PDS a Certificate of Completion that contains the following elements:
(a) A Certificate of Completion on a form provided by the Director of PDS within 10 days after installation, verifying that the landscaping and irrigation were installed as allowed in the approved landscape and irrigation plan, that all approved soil amendments were implemented and the installed irrigation system is functioning as designed and approved. The certificate of completion shall be signed under penalty of perjury by the person to whom the water use authorization has been issued and by a California licensed, landscape architect, civil engineer or architect. Where the water use authorization has been issued to a single family homeowner who either hired a licensed landscape contractor to install the landscaping and irrigation, or installed it themselves, the certificate shall be signed under penalty of perjury by the homeowner and the contractor, or by the homeowner if installed by them. Property owners who designed and installed landscape on their own property shall also be required to sign certificates.
(b) For those single family residential projects required to comply with Section 86.709(b)(10) with an approved Landscape Documentation Package, a copy of the developer/homebuilder signed disclosure statement to be provided to each new homeowner about their obligations to design, install, and maintain their landscapes based on the water budgets established for their lot and their obligations to install and maintain two trees for carbon sequestration, as well as, their obligation to install and maintain vegetated structural BMPs or any other vegetated BMP as applicable, shall be provided.
(c) To the extent applicable, a copy of the HOA's Architectural Guidelines (or similar) indicating that all homes are required to be compliant with the Prescriptive Compliance Option guidelines established on the approved Landscape Documentation Package and instructions to homeowners to submit a landscape plan to the County if they so choose to adjust their water budget calculations.
(d) An irrigation schedule that complies with section 86.726 that describes the irrigation times and water usage for the project.
(e) A landscape and irrigation system maintenance schedule that complies with section 86.727.
(f) A soil management report that complies with section 86.708 if the applicant did not submit the report with the landscape documentation package.
(g) For new construction and modified landscape projects installed after the effective date of this ordinance, as described in Section 86.703:
(1) the project applicant shall submit an irrigation audit report with the Certificate of Completion that shall include, but is not limited to: inspection, system tune-up, system test with distribution uniformity or emission uniformity, soil moisture test/observation for drip and subsurface irrigation, reporting overspray or run-off that causes overland flow, and preparation of an irrigation schedule, including configuring irrigation controllers with application rate, soil types, plant factors, slope, exposure, and any other factors necessary for accurate programming.
(2) Photo documentation of all components of the irrigation system and evidence of planting, including residential tree plantings required by section 86.709(b)(10), per the approved Landscape Documentation Package shall be provided.
(Amended by Ord. No. 10224 (N.S.), effective 10-25-12)
The irrigation schedule required by section 86.725 shall be prepared by a California licensed, landscape architect, civil engineer, architect, landscape contractor, or property owner and provide the following information:
(a) A description of the automatic irrigation system that will be used for the project.
(1) A diagram of the irrigation plan showing hydrozones shall be kept with the irrigation controller for subsequent management purposes. A copy shall be provided with the submittal of the Certificate of Completion to verify compliance.
(b) The time period when overhead irrigation will be scheduled and confirm that overhead irrigation shall only be used during the shorter of the following two intervals: 1) between 8:00 p.m. and 10:00 a.m., or 2) any more restrictive period mandated by a public water purveyor.
(c) For implementation of the irrigation schedule, particular attention must be paid to irrigation run times, emission device, flow rate, and current reference evapotranspiration, so that applied water meets the Estimated Total Water Use. Total annual applied water shall be less than or equal to Maximum Applied Water Allowance (MAWA). Actual irrigation schedules shall be regulated by automatic irrigation controllers using current reference evapotranspiration data (e.g., CIMIS) or soil moisture sensor data.
(d) The parameters used for setting the irrigation system controller for watering times for:
(1) The plant establishment period.
(2) Established landscaping.
(3) Temporarily irrigated areas.
(4) Different seasons during the year.
(e) The parameters used for each station for the following factors:
(1) The days between irrigation.
(2) Station run time in minutes for each irrigation event, designed to avoid runoff.
(3) Number of cycle starts required for each irrigation event, designed to avoid runoff.
(4) Amount of water to be applied on a monthly basis.
(5) The root depth setting.
(6) The plant type setting.
(7) The soil type.
(8) The slope factor.
(9) The shade factor.
(10) Application rate setting.
(11) Irrigation uniformity or efficiency setting.
(a) A person using water under a water use authorization that the County issued pursuant to this chapter shall maintain the landscaping and irrigation on the property to ensure compliance with the MAWA.
(b) A property owner using water on property subject to a water use authorization shall prepare a regular maintenance schedule for the landscaping and irrigation on the project. The schedule shall provide for, but not be limited to: (1) routine inspections to guard against runoff and erosion and detect plant or irrigation system failure (2) replacement of dead, dying and diseased vegetation, (3) eradication of invasive plant species in transitional areas, (4) auditing, repairing and adjusting the irrigation system and its components when necessary, (5) replenishing mulch, topdressing with compost (6) soil amendment when necessary to support and maintain healthy plant growth, (7) fertilizing, pruning, weeding and mowing and, (8) aerating and dethatching turf areas, (9) maintenance to avoid obstruction of motorists' view, (10) ongoing maintenance of all vegetated BMP as per an approved Landscape Documentation Package. The schedule shall also identify who will be responsible for maintenance and include emergency contact information.
(c) A person who uses water pursuant to a water use authorization shall maintain the irrigation system to meet or exceed an average irrigation efficiency of 0.75.
(d) A person who replaces broken or malfunctioning irrigation system components shall replace the components with the same materials or their equivalent, or with components with greater efficiency, however, the precipitation/application rates shall remain matched on any given valve.
(e) A person who replaces vegetation shall replace it with plantings that are representative of the hydrozone in which the plants were removed and shall be typical of the water use requirements of the plants removed provided that the replaced vegetation does not result in mixing plants contrary to the requirements of this chapter. This shall also apply to vegetated structural BMPs or any other vegetated BMPs installed on the property per approved plans.
(f) A project applicant is encouraged to implement established landscape industry sustainable Best Practices for all landscape maintenance activities.
(a) No person who owns or occupies property in the unincorporated area of the County shall use water for irrigation that due to runoff, low head drainage, overspray or other similar condition, results in water flowing onto adjacent property, non-irrigated areas, structures, walkways, roadways or other paved areas. This section is not intended to apply to circumstances beyond the control of the property owner or other person in possession of the property.
(b) No person whose property is subject to an outdoor water use authorization pursuant to this chapter shall exceed the MAWA for the property.
(c) A person who violates subsections (a) or (b) above shall be subject to the Administrative Citation Procedures in sections 18.101 et seq. of this code.
(d) The County may also obtain an injunction against a person who continues to violate subsections (a) or (b) after receiving a warning of an Administrative Citation pursuant to section 18.103.
Whenever the County has reasonable grounds to believe that a person is violating section 86.728 the County may inspect the property and any irrigation system or water feature on the property. If a person refuses to consent to an inspection the County may obtain an inspection warrant pursuant to Code of Civil Procedure sections 1822.50 et seq. No person shall interfere with a County inspector conducting an inspection authorized by this chapter.
(a) The County may randomly audit outdoor water use on any property for which it issued a water use authorization pursuant to this chapter to determine compliance with the authorization. A person who owns or occupies property subject to a water use authorization, shall be deemed to consent to the audit of outdoor water use if the person engages in outdoor water use on the property.
(b) The County may also analyze, survey and audit outdoor water use using methods described in 23 California Code of Regulations sections 490 et seq., on an existing landscape project where the landscaped area exceeds one acre and the County has reasonable grounds to believe that due to irrigation runoff, low head drainage, overspray or other similar condition, water is flowing onto adjacent property, non-irrigated areas, structures, walkways, roadways or other paved areas of the project.
An applicant for a project subject to this chapter shall include with the application, all fees established by the Board of Supervisors to cover the County's costs to review an application, any required landscape documentation package and any other documents the County reviews pursuant to the requirements of this chapter.
Loading...