Sec. 6-171. Solar system code adopted.

The document entitled "Solar System Code," a copy of which is attached to Ordinance No. 5553 as exhibit A, is adopted by reference as the Solar System Code of the City of Tucson.

(Ord. No. 5553, § 1, 5-3-82)

   Editor's note – Exhibit A is not printed herein but is on file with the original ordinance in the offices of the city clerk.

Sec. 6-172. Clerk to keep copies of the solar system code.

Three (3) copies of the solar system code adopted in section 6-171 shall be filed in the office of the city clerk and hereby are made public records and shall be available for public use and inspection during regular office hours.

(Ord. No. 5553, § 1, 5-3-82)

Sec. 6-173. Amendments to the solar system code.

The solar system code adopted in section 6-171 may be amended from time to time by the mayor and council. Three (3) copies of current ordinances amending the solar system code shall be kept on file by the city clerk as public records.

(Ord. No. 5553, § 1, 5-3-82)

Sec. 6-174. Reserved.

   Editor's note – Section 6-174, declaring violation of this article unlawful, derived from Ord. No. 5553, § 1, adopted May 3, 1982, was repealed by § 1 of Ord. No. 5718, adopted February 28, 1983. Penalty for violation of this ch. 6 is now found in § 6-5.

Secs. 6-175--6-180. Reserved.

ARTICLE VIII. RAINWATER COLLECTION AND DISTRIBUTION REQUIREMENTS.

Sec. 6-181. Definitions.

As used in this article, the following terms are defined as follows:

   Commercial development means any new non-residential development that is intended to be used primarily for commercial activities, and is subject to the requirements of the International Building Code.

   Rainwater means water that has fallen as rain and contains little dissolved mineral matter, or any other form of precipitation.

(Ord. No. 10597, § 1, 10-14-08)

Sec. 6-182. Rainwater harvesting plan.

   A.   All commercial development and site plans submitted after June 1, 2010, shall include a rainwater harvesting plan. The rainwater harvesting plan shall include a landscape water budget and an implementation plan.

   1.   The landscape water budget shall calculate the estimated volume of water required yearly for all site landscaping detailed in the development and/or landscape plan.

   2.   The implementation plan shall show how any combination of capture, conveyance, storage, and distribution will be utilized on-site to harvest rainwater. Implementation plans shall comply with applicable development standards for water harvesting applications.

   3.   The implementation plan shall also provide for water metering of all on-site landscape water through either:

   (a)   A separate water meter connected to the main water supply; or,

   (b)   An irrigation sub-meter.

   B.   The rainwater harvesting plan shall be submitted concurrently with the site plan and landscape plan.

   C.   The director of the development services department may authorize alternative compliance with development standards when conditions of topography, site soils or ratio of landscape area to total site area would make strict adherence to standard provisions unreasonable and the alternative compliance advances the spirit of this article.

(Ord. No. 10597, § 1, 10-14-08)

Sec. 6-183. Construction of rainwater harvesting system; minimum landscape budget requirements; request for rainwater harvesting plan revision.

   A.   All new commercial development built pursuant to a development plan submitted after June 1, 2010, shall include a rainwater harvesting system constructed according to an approved rainwater harvesting plan.

   B.   No later than three (3) years from the date of issuance of a final certificate of occupancy, and for every year thereafter, fifty (50) percent of the estimated yearly landscape water budget shall be provided by rainwater harvested on-site by a rainwater harvesting system constructed pursuant to an approved rainwater harvesting plan. The fifty (50) percent landscape budget provision shall not apply in any calendar year in which the annual precipitation has fallen below the amount determined in the applicable development standards.

   C.   Within three (3) years from the date of issuance of a final certificate of occupancy, the applicant, or a successor in interest, may request to revise the rainwater harvesting plan. The request shall be submitted to the director of development services. The request shall be granted only if one of the following is true:

   1.   A mathematical or engineering error was made in the calculation of water required for on-site landscaping.

   2.   A variance related to landscape requirements, and which impacts the landscape water budget, is obtained subsequent to the approval of a submitted rainwater harvesting plan.

   3.   Additional data on site conditions or performance relevant to the subject site has been obtained, and results indicated a needed change in water budget calculations in the rainwater harvesting plan.

(Ord. No. 10597, § 1, 10-14-08)