CC - Item 4A - Municipal Code Amendment 15-08 Part 1 E M
S
ROSEMEAD CITY COUNCIL •
=OIVIC PRIDE STAFF REPORT
NCORPORATEO 109
TO: THE HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS
FROM: JEFF ALLRED, CITY MANAGER 1,0
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DATE: DECEMBER 8, 2015
SUBJECT: MUNICIPAL CODE AMENDMENT 15-08
A CITY INITIATED ORDINANCE AMENDING ROSEMEAD MUNICIPAL
CODE TITLE 13 "PUBLIC SERVICES", CHAPTER 13.08 "WATER
EFFICIENT LANDSCAPES". AND ASSOCIATED GUIDELINES IN
ACCORDANCE WITH GOVERNOR BROWN'S DROUGHT EXECUTIVE
ORDER (B-29-15)
SUMMARY .
In response to Governor Brown's declared state of emergency due to severe drought
conditions and his Executive Order (EO B-29-15) to update the State's Model Water
Efficient Landscape Ordinance, cities throughout California are required to update their
landscape ordinances. The City of Rosemead proposes to amend Chapter 13.08 of the
Rosemead Municipal Code "Water Efficient Landscaping Regulations" and related
"Water Efficient Landscape Guidelines" to comply with State law.
Staff Recommendation
It is recommended that the City Council take the following actions:
1. Conduct the noticed public hearing and receive public comment, and
2. Introduce for First Reading, by title only, Ordinance No. 960 "An Ordinance of the
Rosemead City Council, Amending Chapter 13.08 of the Rosemead Municipal
Code Amending the Water Efficient Landscape Standards Guidelines to be.
Consistent with State Law" (Attachment "A").
BACKGROUND
In 1992, the State of California enacted the Water Conservation in Landscaping Act,
(AB 325) requiring the adoption of a water efficient landscape ordinance by cities and
counties throughout the State. In response, the City of Rosemead adopted Water
Efficiency Landscape Ordinance No. 723, which established water efficient landscape
design standards, including both plant selection and irrigation techniques, in line with
the model provided in AB 325.
ITEM NO. 4.A
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City Council Meeting
December 8,2015
Page 2 of 4
In 2006, Governor Schwarzenegger signed Assembly Bill 1881 (Laird, Water
Conservation) amending the Water Conservation in Landscape Act. The City Council
adopted Ordinance No. 885 in compliance with this State mandate on December 8,
2009. Ordinance No. 885 was a regional model ordinance that was crafted by an
Orange County stakeholder group led by the Municipal Water District of Orange County
(MWDOC). The stakeholder group included representatives from Orange County,
Orange County cities, water agencies, Building Industries Association (BIA), irrigation
consultants, landscape architects, and other industry professionals. The Orange
County Model was adapted and used by several cities in the San Gabriel Valley, as it
was "at least as effective" as the State Model and it provided user-friendly framework to
streamline the processing of landscape projects.
With the drought conditions at emergency levels, Governor Brown issued an Executive
Order (EO B-29-15) on April 1, 2015, directing the Department of Water Resources
(DWR) to update the State Model Water Landscape Ordinance (MWELO) by July 15,
2015 to increase water efficiency standards for new and existing landscapes through
more efficient irrigation systems, greywater usage, onsite storm water capture and by
limiting the portion of landscaping that can be covered in turf. On September 9, 2015,
the California Water Commission (CWC) adopted revisions to the California Code of
Regulations Title 23, Division 2, Chapter 2.7 "Model Water Efficient Landscape
Ordinance." In this approval, the CWC also adopted the requirement that cities adopt
an ordinance being at least as effective as the MWELO by December 1, 2015, or
February 1, 2016 when adopting a regional ordinance.
In response to this mandate, the City of Rosemead participated in a water efficient
landscape subcommittee that was formed by the San Gabriel Valley Council of
Governments' Planning & Community Development Technical Advisory Committee.
This subcommittee collaborated with the Orange County stakeholder group that
prepared the 2015 Orange County Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance update.
Municipal Code Amendment 15-08 incorporates the 2015 Orange County Regional
Model Ordinance revisions. These revisions will ensure that Rosemead's standards are
"at least as effective as" the State MWELO, as well as ensure an implementation
process for streamlined compliance, minimized complexity, and consistency between
local jurisdictions in southern California.
ANALYSIS
Municipal Code Amendment 15-08, which is an update to the City's Water Efficient
Landscape Ordinance and Guidelines, is complete and has been reviewed by staff as
well as the City Attorney to ensure that it addresses Rosemead's needs. The
amendment focuses on increasing water savings for new construction through more
efficient irrigation systems, limiting turf/grass area, onsite stormwater capture, and use
of greywater. The following is a summary of the significant revisions have been made
in accordance with the State MWELO.
City Council Meeting
December 8,2015
Page 3 of 4
• Project Size Applicability: Landscape area thresholds that trigger compliance
with the Ordinance have been reduced. New residential, commercial, industrial,
and public development projects that include landscape areas of 500 square feet
or more are subject to the Ordinance. The previous landscape size threshold for
new development projects was 2,500 square feet. The size threshold for
existing landscapes remains unchanged at 2,500 square feet. Only rehabilitated
landscapes that are associated with a building permit, plan check, or design
review are subject to the new provisions.
• Prescriptive Compliance Option: A simplified landscape plan submittal is
offered as an option for projects with landscape areas between 500 square feet
and 2,500 square feet or for projects that use greywater. The Prescriptive
Compliance checklist is outlined in "Appendix A" of the "Guidelines for
implementation of the City of Rosemead Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance."
• Definitions: Clarified and expanded definitions of technical terms have been
incorporated into the Ordinance and Guidelines.
• Water Budget: The maximum amount of water that can be applied to the total
project landscape area is reduced. This reduction limits the amount of high water
use plants, such as cool season turf/grass, that can be used in projects. The
water limit effectively reduces the amount of turf to approximately 25% of the
residential landscape areas, and makes the use of turf in nonresidential projects
infeasible. Special function areas, such as active recreation landscapes, edible
gardens, landscapes that use recycled water are given an increased water
allowance.
• Landscape Design Plan: Prior to planting, 4 yards of compost must be
incorporated per 1,000 square feet of permeable area. Compacted soils must be
transformed to a friable state. The depth of mulch was increased from 2 to 3
inches. Greywater and stormwater retention components must be indicated on
the plans.
• Irrigation Design Plan: Dedicated landscape water meters or submeters are
required for residential landscapes over 5,000 square feet and for nonresidential
landscapes over 1,000 square feet. The minimum width of areas that can be
overhead irrigated was increased from 8 feet to 10 feet. Landscape areas less
than 10 feet wide must be irrigated with subsurface drip or other alternative
system that does not produce spray or runoff. The revised Ordinance requires
the irrigation auditor to be a local agency auditor or third party auditor to reduce
conflicts of interested.
City Council Meeting
December 8,2015
Page 4 of 4
• Public Education: New model homes that are required provide water efficient
landscapes, are also required to provide signage demonstrating low water use
approaches to landscaping.
• Reporting: Local agencies are required to report on their ordinance
implementation and enforcement efforts to DWR on an annual basis.
ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINATION
Municipal Code Amendment 15-08 is exempt from review under the California
Environmental Quality Act ("CEQA") (California Public Resources Code Section 21000
et seq.), because pursuant to State CEQA Regulation 15307 (14 Cal. Code Regs, §
15307), this proposed Ordinance is covered by the CEQA Categorical Exemption for.
actions taken to assure the maintenance, restoration, enhancement, or protection.of a
natural resource where the regulatory process involves procedures for protection of the
environment. The adoption of this Ordinance will result in the enhancement and
protection of water resources in the City, and will not result in cumulative adverse
environment impacts.
LEGAL REVIEW
The attached Ordinance No. 960 has been reviewed and approved by the City Attorney.
PUBLIC NOTICE PROCESS
Pursuant to California Government Code Section 65091, a public hearing notice was
published in at least one (1) newspaper of general circulation within the local agency
(Rosemead Reader on November 26, 2015), as the number of owners of real property
within 300 feet of the project site is greater 1,000. In addition, the same public hearing
notice was posted in six (6) public locations.
Submitted by:
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Michelle G. Ramirez
Community Development Director
ATTACHMENT
Attachment A: Ordinance No. 960 (Clean Version)
Attachment B: Ordinance No. 960 (Strikethrough Version)
ATTACHMENT A
Reserved
ORDINANCE NO. 960
AN ORDINANCE OF THE ROSEMEAD CITY COUNCIL,
AMENDING CHAPTER 13.08 OF THE ROSEMEAD
MUNICIPAL CODE AMENDING THE WATER EFFICIENT
LANDSCAPE STANDARDS AND GUIDELINES TO BE
CONSISTENT WITH STATE LAW
WHEREAS, the waters of the State of California are of limited supply and are
subject to ever increasing demands; and
WHEREAS, the continuation of economic prosperity is dependent on the
availability of adequate supplies of water for future uses; and
WHEREAS, landscapes are essential to the quality of life in the State and the City
of Rosemead by providing areas for active and passive recreation and as an
enhancement to the environment by cleaning air and water, preventing erosion, offering
fire protection, and replacing ecosystems lost to development; and
WHEREAS, landscape design, installation, maintenance, and management can
and should be water efficient; and
WHEREAS, Article X, Section 2 of the California Constitution specifies that the
right to use water is limited to the amount reasonably required for the beneficial use to be
served, and the right does not and shall not extend to waste or unreasonable method of
use of water; and
WHEREAS, the recent drought has emphasized the need to be prudent in the use
and conservation of water; and
WHEREAS, the City adopted Ordinance No. 885 Water Efficient Landscapes in
2009, which implemented standards to,regulate water efficient landscapes in accordance
with AB 1881, and
WHEREAS, pursuant Governor Brown's Drought Executive Order of April 1, 2015
(EO B-29-15), the California Water Commission approved an update the State's Model
Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance; and
WHEREAS, the State requires local agencies to adopt the 2015 State Model
Ordinance or an ordinance that is "at least as effective" in conserving water; and
WHEREAS, to comply with State requirements, to provide consistency with other
jurisdictions, and to ease use for applicants, the City desires to adopt a regional Water
Efficient Landscape Ordinance that is "at least as effective as" 2015 State Model Water
Efficient Landscape Ordinance, and
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THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF ROSEMEAD HEREBY ORDAINS AS
FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1: The City Council of the City of Rosemead does hereby find,
determine, and declare that:
A. The City of Rosemead has benefited from the installation of reclaimed water
infrastructure by the San Gabriel Valley Water Company and Golden State Water
Company that is servicing several large private properties; and
B. Allocation-based and tiered water rate structures allow public agencies to
document water use in landscapes; and
C. Current local design practices in new landscapes strive to achieve the intent of the
State Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance water use goals; and
D. All water services within the City are metered and billed based on the volume of
use; and
E. All new irrigation controllers sold after 2012 within the City will be smart irrigation
controllers; and
F. Landscape plan submittal and review has been a long standing practice in the City
of Rosemead, and
G. The local water purveyors for the City of Rosemead are implementing budget-
based tiered rate billing and/or enforcement of water waste prohibitions for all existing
metered landscape areas throughout their service area, which combined includes the
entire City of Rosemead. In addition, the City of Rosemead continues to enforce Chapter
13.04 of the Rosemead Municipal Code pertaining to Water Conservation. Pursuant to
Rosemead Municipal Code Section 13.04.030, no water user shall waste water from any
source nor shall any person sanction such waste.
SECTION 2: Amendment to Title 13. Rosemead Municipal Code Title 13 "Public
Services", Chapter 13.08 "Water Efficient Landscapes" is amended to read as follows:
WATER EFFICEINT LANDSCAPES
Sections:
13.08.010 Purpose.
The purpose of this Chapter is to establish water efficient landscape regulations
that are acceptable under Governor Brown's April 1, 2015 Drought Executive Order (B-
29-15) and that are at least as effective in conserving water as the State Model Water
Efficient Landscape Ordinance, in the context of conditions in the City, in order to ensure
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that landscapes are planned, designed, installed, maintained, and managed in a manner
that uses water efficiently, encourages water conservation, and prevents water waste.
The provisions of this Chapter shall be deemed to be controlling over the subject matter
herein in the event of any conflict between this Chapter and any other provision in the
Municipal Code.
13.08.020 Definitions.
For the purposes of this Chapter and the Guidelines for the implementation of this
Chapter, the following terms are defined:
"City" means the City of Rosemead.
"City Manager" means the City Manager of the City of Rosemead or his or her
designee.
"Aggregate landscape areas" pertains to the areas undergoing development as
one project for production home neighborhoods or other situations where multiple parcels
are undergoing development as one project, but will eventually be individually owned.
"Applicant" means the person submitting a landscape documentation package.
Applicants can be the property owner or his or her designee.
"Applied water" means the portion of water supplied by the irrigation system to the
landscape.
"Budget-based tiered-rate structure" means tiered or block rates for irrigation
accounts charged by the local water purveyor(s) in which the block definition for each
customer is derived from lot size or irrigated area and the evapotranspiration
requirements of landscaping.
"Ecological restoration project" means a project where the site is intentionally
altered to establish a defined, indigenous, historic ecosystem.
"Estimated Applied Water Use"or"EAWU"means the average annual total amount
of water estimated to be necessary to keep plants in a healthy state, calculated as
provided in the Guidelines. It is based on the reference evapotranspiration rate, the size
of the landscape area, plant water use factors, and the relative irrigation efficiency of the
irrigation system.
"Evapotranspiration adjustment factor"or"ET adjustment factor"or"ETAF" is equal
to the plant factor divided by the irrigation efficiency factor for a landscape project, as
described in the Guidelines. The ETAF is calculated in the context of local reference
evapotranspiration, using site-specific plant factors and irrigation efficiency factors that
influence the amount of water that needs to be applied to the specific landscaped area.
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"Guidelines" refers to the Guidelines for Implementation of the Water Efficient
Landscape Ordinance, as approved by the City, which describes procedures,
calculations, and requirements for landscape projects subject to this Chapter.
"Hardscapes" means any durable material or feature (pervious and non-pervious)
installed in or around a landscaped area, such as pavements or walls. Pools and other
water features are considered part of the landscaped area and are not considered
ha rdscapes.
"Irrigation efficiency" or "IE" means the measurement of the amount of water
beneficially used divided by the amount of water applied to the landscaped area. Irrigation
efficiency is derived °from measurements and estimates of irrigation system
characteristics and management practices. The irrigation efficiency for
purposes of this Chapter are.0.75 for overhead spray devices and 0.81 for drip systems.
"Landscaped area" means all the planting areas, turf areas, and water features in
a landscape design plan subject to the Maximum Applied Water Allowance and Estimated
Applied Water Use calculations. The landscaped 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" means a person licensed by the State of California to
construct, maintain, repair, install, or subcontract the development of landscape systems.
"Landscape documentation package" means the documents required to be
provided to the City for review and approval of landscape projects subject to this Chapter,
as described in the Guidelines.
"Landscape project" means total area of landscape in a project, as provided in the
definition of"landscaped area," meeting the requirements under Section 13.08.030 of this
Chapter.
"Landscape rehabilitation" means any re-landscaping project that meets the
applicability criteria of Section 13.08.030(A) of this Chapter, where the aggregate
modified landscape area is equal to or greater than 2,500 square feet or where the
cumulative modified area is equal to or greater than 2,500 square feet if the modifications
are planned to occur incrementally within one year.
"Local agency" means a city or county, including a charter city or charter county,
or local water purveyor that is authorized by the City to implement, administer, and/or
enforce any of the provisions of this Chapter on behalf of the City. The local agency may
be responsible for the enforcement or delegation of enforcement of this Chapter including,
but not limited to, design review, plan check, issuance of permits, and inspection of a
landscape project.
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"Local water purveyor" means any entity, including a city, county, public agency,
or private water company that provides retail water service. Local water purveyor shall
also mean any entity that provides wholesale water service, for the purpose of Section
13.08.050(B)(1) and Section 13.08.070.
"Maximum applied water allowance" or "MAWA" means the upper limit of annual
applied water for the landscaped area as specified in Section 2.2 of the Guidelines. It is
based upon the area's reference evapotranspiration, the ET adjustment factor, and the
size of the landscaped area. The Estimated Applied Water Use shall not exceed the
MAWA. MAWA = (ETo) (0.62) [(ETAF x LA) + ((1-ETAF) x SLA)]
"Mined-land reclamation projects" means any surface mining operation with a
reclamation plan approved in accordance with the Surface Mining and Reclamation Act
of 1975.
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"New landscape" means, for the purposes of this Chapter, a new building with a
landscape or other new landscape such as a park, playground, or greenbelt without an
associated building.
"Non-pervious" means any surface or natural material that does not allow for the
passage of water through the material and into the underlying soil.
"Person" means any individual, firm, joint venture, joint stock company,
partnership, public or private association, company, corporation, business trust,
organization, public or private agency, government agency or institution, school district,
college, university, any other user of water provided by the local water purveyor, or the
manager, agent, officer, or employee thereof, or any other entity which is recognized by
law as the subject of rights or duties.
"Pervious" means any surface or material that allows the passage of water through
the material and into the underlying soil.
"Permit" means an authorizing document issued by a local agency for new
construction or rehabilitated landscape.
"Plant factor" or "plant water use factor" is a factor, when multiplied by ETo, that
estimates the amount of water needed by plants. For purposes of this Chapter, the plant
factor range for very low water use plants is 0 to 0.1; the plant factor 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 publication "Water Use Classification of Landscape
Species." Plant factors may also be obtained from horticultural researchers from
academic institutions or professional associations as approved by the California
Department of Water Resources (DWR).
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"Recycled water" or "reclaimed water" means 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" means a standard measurement of
environmental parameters which affect the water use of plants. ETo is given expressed
in inches per day, month, or year as represented in the Guidelines, 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 Allowances.
"Smart automatic irrigation controller" means an automatic irrigation controllers
utilizing either evapotranspiration or soil moisture sensor data with non-volatile memory
shall be required for irrigation scheduling in all irrigation systems, recommending U.S.
EPA WaterSense labeled devices as applicable.
"Special landscape area" or "SLA" means an area of the landscape dedicated
solely to edible plants such as orchards and vegetable gardens; areas irrigated with
recycled water; water features using recycled water; and recreational areas dedicated to
active play where turf provides a playing surface, such as parks, sports fields, golf
courses, and where turf provides a playing surface.
"Turf" means 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" means a device used to control the flow of water in an irrigation system.
"Water feature" means a design element where open water performs an aesthetic
or recreational function. Water features include ponds, lakes, waterfalls, fountains,
artificial streams, spas, and swimming pools (where water is artificially supplied). The
surface area of water features is included in the high water use hydrozone of the
landscaped area. Constructed wetlands used for on-site wastewater treatment, habitat
protection or storm water best management practices that are not irrigated and used
solely for water treatment or storm water retention are not water features and, therefore,
are not subject to the water budget calculation.
13.08.030. Applicability.
A. Beginning February 1, 2016, and consistent with Executive Order No. B-29-15, this
Chapter applies to the following landscape projects:
1. New landscape projects with an aggregate landscape area equal to or greater
than 500 square feet, requiring a building or landscape permit, plan check or
design review;
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2. Rehabilitated landscape projects with an aggregate landscape area equal to or
greater than 2,500 square feet, requiring a building permit or landscape permit,
plan check or design review;
3. New or rehabilitated landscape projects with an aggregate landscape area of
2,500 square feet orr less may comply with the performance requirements of
this Ordinance or conform to the prescriptive measures contained in Appendix
A of the Guidelines.
4. New or rehabilitated projects using treated or untreated graywater or rainwater
capture on site, any lot or parcels within the project that has less than 2,500
square feet of landscape area and meets the lot or parcel's landscape water •
requirement (Estimated Total Water Use) entirely with the treated or untreated
graywater or though stored rainwater capture on site is subject only to Appendix
A of the Guidelines.
B. Section 13.08.060(B) of this Chapter regarding water waste applies to:
1. All landscaped areas, whether installed prior to or after January 1, 2010; and
2. All landscaped areas installed after February 1, 2016 to which Section
13.08.030(A) is applicable.
13.08.040. Exemptions.
A. This Chapter does not apply to:,
1. Registered local, state, or federal historical sites;
2. Ecological restoration projects that do not require a permanent irrigation
system;
3. Mined-land reclamation projects that do not require a permanent irrigation
system; or
4. Plant collections, as part of botanical gardens and arboretums open to the
public.
B. The requirements of this Chapter may be partially or wholly waived, at the
discretion of the City Manager or his/her designee, for landscape rehabilitation
projects that are limited to replacement of plantings with equal or lower water
needs and where any modifications to the irrigation system do not require
ministerial permits and the irrigation system is found to be designed, operable, and
programmed consistent with minimizing water waste in accordance with local
water purveyor(s)' regulations or programs.
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13.08.050. Implementation Procedures.
A. A Landscape Documentation Package is required to be submitted to the City for
review and approval prior to the issuance of permits and prior to the start of
construction. Any Landscape Documentation Package submitted to the City must.
comply with provisions of this Chapter and the Guidelines.
B. The Landscape Documentation Package must include a certification by a
landscape professional stating that the landscape design plan, soil management
report, irrigation design plan, and water calculations have been prepared by or
under the supervision of the landscape professional and are certified to be in
compliance with the provisions of this Chapter.
1. Landscape and irrigation plans must be submitted to the City for review and
approval with appropriate water use calculations. Water use calculations must
be consistent with calculations contained in the Guidelines.
2. A Certification of Completion is required to verify compliance with the approved
plans and must be obtained in conjunction with a Certificate of Use and
Occupancy or a Permit Final, as provided in the Guidelines.
13.08.060. Landscape Water Use Standards.
A. For applicable new landscape or landscape rehabilitation projects subject to
Section 13.08.030(A) of this Chapter, the Estimated Applied Water Use allowed
for the landscaped area may not exceed the MAWA calculated using an ET
adjustment factor of 0.7, except for the portion of the MAWA applicable to any
special landscaped areas within the landscape project, which may be calculated
using an ETAF of 1.0. Where the design of the landscaped area can be otherwise
shown to be equivalently water efficient, the applicant may submit alternative or
abbreviated information supporting the demonstration that the annual EAWU is
less than the MAWA, at the discretion of and review and approval of the City.
B. Irrigation of all landscaped areas must be conducted in a manner conforming to
the rules and requirements, and is subject to penalties and incentives for water
conservation and water waste prevention as determined and implemented by the
local water purveyor(s) or as mutually agreed by local water purveyor(s) and the
City.
13.08.070. Delegation.
The City may delegate to, or enter into an agreement with, one or more local
agencies to implement, administer, and/or enforce any of the provisions of this Chapter
on behalf of the City.
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SECTION 3: Approval of Guidelines. The City Council hereby approves the
Guidelines for Implementation of the City of Rosemead Water Efficient Landscape
Ordinance, attached hereto as "Exhibit A" and incorporated herein by reference.
SECTION 4: Environmental Review. The City Council hereby determines that
this Ordinance is exempt from review under the California Environmental Quality Act
("CEQA") (California Public Resources Code Section 21000 et seq.), because pursuant
to State CEQA Regulation 15307 (14 Cal. Code Regs., § 15307), this Ordinance is
covered by the CEQA Categorical Exemption for actions taken to assure the
maintenance, restoration, enhancement, or protection of a natural resource where the
regulatory process involves procedures for protection of the environment. The adoption
of this Ordinance will result in the enhancement and protection of water resources in the
City, and will not result in cumulative adverse environment impacts. It is therefore exempt
from the provisions of CEQA. The City Council hereby directs the City Manager or
designee to prepare and file a Notice of Exemption as soon as possible following adoption
of this Ordinance.
SECTION 5: Severability. If any section, subsection, phrase, or clause of this
Ordinance shall be deemed by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid for any
reason, the validity of the remaining sections, subsections, phrases, or clauses of this
Ordinance shall not be affected thereby.
SECTION 6: Effective Date. The Mayor shall sign and the City Clerk shall attest
to the passage of this Ordinance. This Ordinance will go into effect thirty (30) days from
its date of adoption.
SECTION 7: Publication. The City Clerk is directed to cause this Ordinance to
be published in the manner required by law for summary publication.
PASSED, APPROVED, AND ADOPTED this day of , 2015, by
the following vote,to wit:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSENT:
•
ABSTAIN:
(Signatures on Next Page)
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Margaret Clark, Mayor
City of Rosemead, California
ATTEST:
Carol Cowley, Interim City Clerk
City of Rosemead, California:
APPROVED AS TO FORM
Rachel H. Richman, City Attorney
Burke, Williams & Sorensen, LLP
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GUIDELINES
FOR IMPLElVIENTATION OF THE
CITY OF ROSEMEAD
WATER EFFICIENT LANDSCAPE
ORDINANCE (WELD)
2015
EXffiBIT A
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Section Page No.
1. Purpose and Applicability 1
1.1 Purpose 1
1.2 Applicability 2
2. Submittal Requirements for New Landscape Installations or Landscape
Rehabilitation Projects 2
2.1 Landscape Documentation Package 2
2.2 Water Efficient Landscape Calculations and Alternatives 3
2.3 Soil and Stormwater Management pert 6
2.4 Landscape Design Plan 8
2.5 Irrigation Design Plan 11
2.6 Grading Design Plan 16
2.7 Certification of Completion ..17
2.8 Post-Installation Irrigation Scheduling 18
2.9 Post-Installation Landscape and Irrigation Maintenance 18
3. Provisions for Existing Landscapes 18
4. Public Education. 19
Appendix A—Prescriptive Compliance Option 20
Appendix B —Certification of Landscape Design 22
Appendix C—Water Efficient Landscape Worksheet 23
Appendix D—Reference Evapotranspiration(ETo) Table 25
Appendix E—Certificate of Completion 26
Appendix F—Definitions 28
Appendix G—Irrigation Plan Checklist 34
Appendix H—Inspection Affidavit ..35
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1. Purpose and Applicability
1.1 Purpose
A. The primary purpose of these Guidelines is to provide procedural and design
guidance for project applicants proposing new landscape or landscape
rehabilitation projects that are subject to Chapter 13.08 Water Efficient Landscape
Ordinance of the City of Rosemead Municipal Code. This document is also
intended for use and reference by City staff in reviewing and approving designs and
verifying compliance with Chapter 13.08. The general purpose of the Water
Efficient Landscape Ordinance is to promote design, installation, and maintenance
of landscaping in a manner that conserves regional water resources by ensuring that
landscaping projects are not unduly water-needy and that irrigation systems are
appropriately designed and installed to minimize water waste.
B. Other regulations affecting landscape design and maintenance practices are
potentially applicable and should be consulted for additional requirements. These
regulations include but may not be limited to:
(1) State of California Assembly Bill 1881 (Laird, Water Conservation),
Chapter No. 559;
(2) National Pollutant Discharge Elimination Permit(s) for the Municipal
Separate Storm Sewer System;
(3) Los Angeles County Fire Code Regulations in Title 32 for fuel modification
in landscapes;
(4) Water Conservation, Water Supply Shortage, and Drought Response
Regulations of the Local Water Purveyor(s)and those contained in Sections
13.04.040 — 13.04.060 of Chapter 13.04 (Water Conservation) of the
Rosemead Municipal Code pertaining to Phase I, II, and III water shortage
regulations;
(5) Local and State Regulations governing use of Recycled Water;
(6) Rosemead Municipal Code;
(7) Specific Plans,Master Plans, General Plan,or similar land use and planning
documents; and
(8) Conditions of approval for a specific project.
1.2 Applicability
See Section 13.08.030 of Chapter 13.08 of the City of Rosemead Municipal Code.
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2. Submittal Requirements for New Landscape Installations or Landscape Rehabilitation
Projects
A. Discretionary approval is typically required for landscape projects that are subject
to site plan reviews, or other procedural processes apply such that standard or
special conditions of approval may be required by the City. Discretionary projects
with conditions of approval may be approved administratively by City staff, or
acted on formally by the Planning Commission, City Council, or other
jurisdictional authority. A typical standard condition of approval reads:
"Landscaping for the project shall be designed to comply with the City's
Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance and with the Guidelines for
Implementation of the Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance."
Landscape or water features that typically require a ministerial permit (i.e., a
building, plumbing, electrical, or other similar permit), thereby triggering
compliance with the Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance requirements
independently of the need for discretionary approval include,but are not limited to,
swimming pools, fountains or ponds, retaining walls, and overhead trellises.
2.1 Landscape Documentation Package
A. A Landscape Documentation Package is required to be submitted by the project
applicant for review and approval prior to the issuance of ministerial permits and
prior to the start of construction. Unless otherwise directed by the City, the
Landscape Documentation Package must include the following elements either on
plan sheets or supplemental pages as directed by the City:
(1) Project Information, including, but not limited to, the following:
(a) Date;
(b) Project name;
(c) Project address, parcel, and/or lot number(s);
(d) Total landscaped area (square feet) and rehabilitated landscaped
area(if applicable);
(e) Project type (e.g., new, rehabilitated, public, private, cemetery,
homeowner-installed);
(f) Water supply type (e.g., potable, recycled, or well) and
identification of the local retail water purveyor if the project
applicant is not served by a private well;
(g) Checklist or index of all documents in the Landscape
Documentation Package;
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(h) Project contacts, including contact information for the project
applicant and property owner;
(i) Certification of Landscape Design in accordance with Appendix
"B" of these Guidelines that includes a landscape professional's
professional stamp, as applicable, signature, contact information
(including email and telephone number), license number, and date,
certifying the statement that "The design of this project complies
with the requirements of the City's Water Efficient Landscape
Ordinance" and shall bear the signature of the landscape
professional as required by law; and
(j) Any other information the City Manager or his or her designee
deems relevant for determining whether the landscape project
complies with the Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance and these
Guidelines.
(2) Maximum Applied Water Allowance (MAWA) and Estimated Applied
Water Use (EAWU) expressed as annual totals including, but not limited
to, the following:
(a) Water Efficient Landscape Worksheet for the landscape project;
(b) Water budget calculations for the landscape project; and
(c) Hydrozone information table for the landscape project.
(3) A soil management report or specifications, or specification provision
requiring soil testing and amendment recommendations and
implementation to be accomplished during construction of the landscape
project.
(4) A landscape design plan for the landscape project.
(5) An irrigation design plan for the landscape project.
(6) A grading design plan, unless grading information is included in the
landscape design plan for the landscape project or unless the landscape
project is limited to replacement planting and/or irrigation to rehabilitate an
existing landscape area.
[Note: Authority Cited: Section 65595, Government Code. Reference:
Section 65596, Government Code.]
2.2 Water Efficient Landscape Calculations and Alternatives
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A. The project applicant must provide the calculated Maximum Applied Water
Allowance (MAWA) and Estimated Applied Water Use (EAWU) for the
landscaped area as part of the Landscape Documentation Package submittal to the
City. The MAWA and EAWU shall be calculated based on completing the Water
Efficient Landscape Worksheets (in accordance with the sample worksheets in
Appendix "C") which contain information on the plant factor, irrigation method,
irrigation efficiency and area associated with each hydrozone. Calculations are
then made to show that the Evapotranspiration Adjustment Factor (ETAF) for the
landscape project does not exceed a factor of 0.55 for residential areas and 0.45 for
non-residential areas, exclusive of Special Landscape Areas. The ETAF for a
landscape project is based on the plant factors and irrigation methods selected. The
Maximum Applied Water Allowance is calculated based on the maximum ETAF
allowed(0.55 for residential areas and 0.45 for non-residential areas)and expressed
as annual gallons required. The EAWU is calculated based on the plants used and
irrigation method selected for the landscape design.
B. The EAWU allowable for the landscape area may not exceed the MAWA. The
MAWA must be calculated using an evapotranspiration adjustment factor (ETAF)
of.55 for residential areas and 0.45 for nonresidential areas, except for the portion
of the MAWA applicable to any special landscaped areas within the landscape
project, which must be calculated using an ETAF of 1.0. Where the design of the
landscaped area can otherwise be shown to be equivalently water-efficient, the
applicant may submit alternative or abbreviated information supporting the
demonstration that the annual EAWU is less than the MAWA, at the discretion of
and for the review and approval of the City.
C. Water budget calculations must adhere to the following requirements:
(1) The MAWA must be calculated using the Water Efficient Landscape
Worksheet and equation presented in Appendix "C".
(2) The EAWU must be calculated using the Water Efficient Landscape
Worksheet and equation presented in Appendix "C".
(3) For the calculation of the MAWA and EAWU, a project applicant must use
the ETo values from the closest location listed the Reference
Evapotranspiration Table in Appendix "D". For geographic areas not
covered in Appendix"D", data from other cities located nearby in the same
reference evapotranspiration zone may be used.
(4) For calculation of the EAWU,the plant water use factor shall be determined
as appropriate to the project location from the Water Use Classification of
Landscape Species (WUCOLS) Evaluation List or from horticultural
researchers with academic institutions or professional associations as
approved by the California Department of Water Resources (DWR). The
plant factor ranges from 0 to 0.1 for very low water use plants, 0.1 to 0.3 for
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low water use plants, 0.4 to 0.6 for moderate water use plants,and 0.7 to 1.0
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for high water use plants.
(5) For calculating the EAWU, the plant water use factor must be determined
for each valve hydrozone based on the highest-water-use plant species
within the zone. The plant factor for each hydrozone may be required to be
further refined as a"landscape coefficient," according to protocols defined
in detail in the WUCOLS document, to reflect planting density and
microclimate effects on water need at the option of the applicant or the City.
(6) For calculation of the EAWU, the area of a water feature is defined as a
high water use hydrozone with a plant factor of 1.0.
(7) For calculation of the EAWU, a temporarily irrigated hydrozone area, such
as an area of highly drought-tolerant native plants that are not intended to
be irrigated after they are fully established, is defined as a very low water
use hydrozone with a plant factor of 0.1.
(8) For calculation of the MAWA, the ETAF for Special Landscaped Areas
(SLA) is set at 1.0. For calculation of the EAWU,the ETAF for SLA shall
be calculated as the plant factor divided by the SLA irrigation efficiency
factor.
(9) Irrigation efficiency(IE)of the irrigation heads used within each hydrozone
shall be assumed to be as follows, unless otherwise indicated by the
equipment manufacturer's specifications or demonstrated by the project
applicant:
Irrigation Method DULQ DULH* EU IE**
Spray nozzles 65% 79% 71%
High efficiency spray nozzles 70% 82% 73%
Multi stream/Multi trajectory rotary 75% 85% 76%
(MSMT)nozzles
Stream rotor nozzle 70% 82% 73%
Microspray 75% 85% 76%
Bubblers 85% 77%
Drip emitter 90% 81%
Subsurface drip 90% 81%
*DULH=.386+(.614)(DULQ
**IE(spray)=(DULH)(IME)
**IE(drip)=Emission uniformity(EU)(IME)
D. The MAWA must adhere to the following requirements:
(1) The MAWA shall be calculated using the equation presented in
Appendix"C". The reference evapotranspiration(ETo)values used
in this calculation are from the Reference Evapotranspiration Table
in Appendix "D" and are for planning purposes only. For actual
irrigation scheduling, automatic irrigation controllers are required
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and must use current ETo data,such as from the California Irrigation
Management Information System(CIMIS),other equivalent data,or
soil moisture sensor data.
2.3 Soil and Stormwater Management
A. All planted landscape areas are required to have friable soil to maximize retention
and infiltration. On engineered slopes, only amended planning holes need to meet
this requirement.
B. In order to reduce runoff and encourage healthy plant growth, a soil management
report must be completed by the applicant, or his/her designee, as follows:
(1) Submit soil samples to a certified agronomic soils laboratory for analysis
and recommendations.
(a) Soil sampling must be conducted in accordance with laboratory
protocol,including protocols regarding adequate sampling depth for
the intended plants.
(b) The soil analysis may include, but is not limited to:
1. soil texture;
2. infiltration rate determined by laboratory test or soil texture
infiltration rate table;
3. pH;
4. total soluble salts;
5. sodium;
6. percent organic matter; and
7. recommendations.
(2) In projects with multiple landscape installations (i.e. production home
developments or common interest developments that are installing
landscaping) a soil sampling rate of 1 in 7 lots or approximately 15% will
satisfy this requirement; evenly disbursed throughout the development.
Large landscape projects shall sample at a rate equivalent to 1 in 7 lots or
approximately 15% landscaped area. The project applicant, or his/her
designee, must comply with one of the following:
(a) If significant mass grading is not planned, the soil analysis report
must be submitted to the local agency as part of the Landscape
Documentation Package; or
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(b) If significant mass grading is planned, the soil analysis report must
be submitted to the City as part of the Certification of Completion.
(c) The soil analysis report must be made available, in a timely manner,
to the professionals preparing the landscape design plans and
irrigation design plans in order to make any necessary adjustments
to the design plans.
(d) The project applicant, or his/her designee, must submit
documentation verifying implementation of soil analysis report
recommendations to the local agency with the Certification of
Completion.
[Note: Authority Cited: Section 65595, Government Code.
Reference: Section 65596, Government Code.]
C. It is strongly recommended that landscape areas be designed for capture and
infiltration capacity that is sufficient to prevent runoff from impervious surfaces
(i.e. roof and paved areas) from additional capacity as required by any applicable
local,regional,state,or federal regulation and/or one of the following: the one inch,
24-hour rain event or the 85th percentile, 24-hour rain event.
D. It is recommended that storm water projects incorporate any of the following
elements to improve on-site stormwater and dry weather runoff capture and use:
(1) Grade impervious surfaces, such as driveways, during construction to drain
into vegetated areas.
(2) Minimize the area of impervious surfaces such as paved areas, roof', and
concrete driveways.
(3) Incorporate pervious or porous surfaces (e.g. gravel, permeable pavers or
blocks, pervious or porous concrete)that minimize runoff.
(4) Direct runoff from paved surfaces and roof areas into planting beds or
landscape areas to maximize site water capture and reuse.
(5) Incorporate rain gardens, cisterns, and other rain harvesting or catchment
systems.
(6) Incorporate infiltration beds, swales, basins, and drywells to capture
stormwater and dry weather runoff and increase percolation into the soil.
(7) Consider constructed wetlands and ponds that retain water, equalize excess
flow, and filter pollutants.
[Note: Authority cited: Section 65595, Government Code. Reference: Section 65596,
Government Code.]
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2.4 Landscape Design Plan
A. For the efficient use of wafer, a landscape must be carefully designed and planned
for the intended function of the project. The following design criteria must be
submitted as part of the Landscape Documentation Package.
(1) Plant Material
(a) Any plant may be selected for the landscape area provided the
EAWU in the landscape area does not exceed the MAWA. Methods
to achieve water efficiency shall include one or more of the
following:
1. Protection and preservation of non-invasive water-conserving
plant, tree and turf species;.
2. Selection of water-conserving plant, tree, and turf species;
3. Selection of plants based on local climate suitability, disease
and pest resistance;
4. Selection of trees based on applicable City and local tree
Ordinances or tree shading guidelines, and size at maturity as
appropriate for the planting area;
5. Selection of plants from local and regional landscape program
plant lists; and
6. Selection of plants from Los Angeles County Fire Fuel
Modification Guidelines.
B. Each hydrozone must have plant materials with similar water use; with the
exception of hydrozones with plants of mixed water use, as specified in Section
2.5.A.(2)(d) of these Guidelines.
C.\ Plants must be selected and planted appropriately based upon their adaptability to
the climatic, geologic, and topographical conditions of the project site. Methods to
achieve water efficiency shall include one or more of the following:
(1) Use the Sunset.Western Climate Zone System which takes into account
temperature, humidity, elevation, terrain, latitude, and varying degrees of
continental and marine influence on local climate;
(2) Recognize the horticultural attributes of plants (i.e., mature plant size,
invasive surface roots) to minimize damage to property or infrastructure
(e.g.,buildings,sidewalks,and power lines); allow for adequate soil volume
for healthy root growth; and
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(3) Consider the solar orientation for plant placement to maximize summer
shade and winter solar gain.
D. Turf is discouraged on slopes greater than 25%where the toe of the slope is adjacent
to an impermeable hardscape and where 25% means 1 foot of vertical elevation
change for every 4 feet of horizontal length (rise divided by run x 100 = slope
percent).
E. High water use plants, characterized by a plant factor of 0.7 to 1.0, are prohibited
in street medians.
F. A landscape design plan for projects in fire-prone areas and fuel modification zones
shall comply with requirements of Los Angeles County, where applicable. When
conflicts between water conservation and fire safety design elements exist, the fire
safety requirements have priority.
G. The use of invasive plant species, such as those listed by the California Invasive
Plant Council, is strongly discouraged.
IL The architectural guidelines of a common interest development, which include
community apartment projects, condominiums, planned developments, and stock
cooperatives, may not prohibit or include conditions that have the effect of
prohibiting the use of water efficient plant species as a group.
(1) Water Features
(a) Recirculating water systems must be used for water features.
(b) Where available and consistent with public health guidelines,
recycled water must be used as a source for decorative water
features.
(c) The surface area of a water feature must be included in the high
water use hydrozone area of the water budget calculation.
(d) Pool and spa covers are highly recommended.
(2) Soil Preparation, Mulch and Amendments
(a) Prior to planting of any materials, compacted soils shall be
transformed to a friable condition. On engineered slopes, only
amended planting holes need to meet this requirement.
(b) Soil amendments shall be incorporated according to the
recommendations of the soil report and what is appropriate for
plants selected.
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(c) For landscape installations, compost at a rate of a minimum of four
cubic yards per 1,000 square feet of permeable area shall be
incorporated to a depth of six inches into the soil. Soils with greater
than 6% organic matter in the top six inches of soil are exempt from
adding compost and tilling.
(d) A minimum three inch (3") layer of mulch must 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. To provide habitat for beneficial insects and
other wildlife, up to 5% of the landscape area may be left without
mulch. Designated insect habitat must be included in the landscape
design plan as such.
(e) Stabilizing mulching products must be used on slopes that meet
current engineering standards such as those detailed in the
USDA/USAID Low-Volume Roads Engineering Best Management
Practices Field Guide.
(f) The mulching portion of the seed/mulch slurry in hydro-seeded
applications must meet the mulching requirement.
(g) Organic mulch materials from recycled or post-consumer materials
shall take precedence over inorganic materials or virgin forest
products unless the recycled post-consumer organic materials are
not locally available. Organic mulches are not required where
prohibited by local fuel Modification Plan Guidelines or other
applicable local Ordinances.
The landscape design plan, at a minimum, must:
(1) Delineate and label each hydrozone by number, letter, or other method;
(2) Identify each hydrozone as low, moderate, high water, or mixed water use.
Temporarily irrigated areas of the landscaped area must be included in the
low water use hydrozone for the water budget calculation;
(3) Identify recreational areas;
(4) Identify areas permanently and solely dedicated to edible plants;
(5) Identify areas irrigated with recycled water;
(6) Identify type of mulch and application depth;
(7) Identify soil amendments,type, and quantity;
(8) Identify type and surface area of water features;
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(9) Identify hardscapes (pervious and non-pervious);
(10) Identify location and installation details, and 24-hour retention or
infiltration capacity of any applicable storm water best management
practices that encourage on-site retention and infiltration of storm water.
Project applicants shall refer to the local agency or regional Water Quality
Control Board for information on any applicable stormwater technical
requirements. Storm water best management practices are encouraged in the
landscape design plan and examples are provided in Section 2.3.0-D.
(11) Identify any applicable rain harvesting or catchment technologies (e.g.,rain
gardens, cisterns, etc.);
(12) Contain the following statement: "I have complied with the criteria of the
City of Rosemead Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance (Rosemead
Municipal Code Chapter 13.08) and applied them for the efficient use of
water in the landscape design plan;" and
(13) Bear the signature of a California-licensed landscape professional.
[Note: Authority Cited: Section 65595, Reference: Section 65596,
Government Code and Section 1351, Civil Code.]
2.5 Irrigation Design Plan
A. This section applies to landscape areas requiring permanent irrigation, not areas
that require temporary irrigation solely for the plant establishment period. For the
efficient use of water, an irrigation system must meet all the requirements listed in
this section and the manufacturer's recommendations. The irrigation system and its
related components must be planned and designed to allow for proper installation,
management, and maintenance. An irrigation design plan meeting the following
design criteria must be submitted as part of the Landscape Documentation Package.
(1) System
(a) Landscape water meters defined as either a dedicated water service
meter or private sub meter, shall be installed for all nonresidential
irrigated landscapes of 1,000 square feet but not more than 5,000
square feet (the level at which Water Code 535 applies) and
residential irrigated landscapes of 5,000 square feet or greater. A
landscape meter may be either:
1. A customer service meter dedicated to landscape use provided
by the local water purveyor; or
2. A privately owned meter or sub meter.
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(b) Automatic irrigation controllers utilizing either evapotranspiration
or soil moisture sensor data with non-volatile memory shall be
required for irrigation scheduling in all irrigation systems,
recommending U.S. EPA WaterSense labeled devices as applicable.
(c) Sensors (rain, freeze, wind, etc.), either integral or auxiliary, that
suspend or alter irrigation operation during unfavorable weather
conditions are required on all irrigation systems, as appropriate for
local climatic conditions. Irrigation should be avoided during windy
or freezing weather, or during rain.
(d) If the water pressure is below or exceeds the recommended pressure
of the specified irrigation devices, the installation of a pressure
regulating device is required to•ensure that the dynamic pressure at
each emission device is within the manufacturer's recommended
pressure range for optimal performance.
1. If the static pressure is above or below the required dynamic
pressure of the irrigation system, pressure-regulating devices
such as inline pressure regulators, booster pumps, or other
devices must be installed to meet the required dynamic pressure
of the irrigation system.
2. Static water pressure, dynamic or operating pressure, and flow
reading of the water supply must be measured at the point of
connection. These pressure and flow measurements must be
conducted at the design stage. If the measurements are not
available at the design stage, the measurements must be
conducted at installation.
(e) Backflow prevention devices are required to protect the water
supply from contamination by the irrigation system. A project
applicant must refer to the applicable City code (i.e., public health)
for additional backflow prevention requirements.
(f) A master shutoff valve shall be as close as possible to the point of
connection and is required_on all projects: with the exception for
landscapes that make use of technologies that allow for the
individual control of sprinklers that are individually pressurized in a
system equipped with low pressure shut down features.
(g) Flow sensors that detect high flow conditions created by system
damage or malfunction are required for all non-residential
landscapes and residential landscapes of 5,000 square feet or larger.
The flow sensor must be in combination with a master shut-off
valve.
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(h) Manual isolation valves(such as a gate valve,ball valve,or butterfly
valve) shall be required downstream of the point of connection of
the water supply to minimize water loss in case of an emergency
(such as a main line break) or routine repair.
(i) The irrigation system must be designed to prevent runoff, low head
drainage, overspray, or other similar conditions where irrigation
water flows onto non-targeted areas, such as adjacent property,non-
irrigated areas, hardscapes, roadways, or structures.
(11) Relevant information from the soil management plan, such as soil
type and infiltration rate,must be utilized when designing irrigation
systems.
(k) The design of the irrigation system must conform to the hydrozones
of the landscape design plan.
(1) All irrigation emission devices must meet the requirements set in the
American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standard, American
Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers'/International
Code Council's (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 ASBE/ICC 802-2014.
(m) Average IE for the project must be determined in accordance with
the EAWU calculation sheet in Appendix "C". Unless otherwise
indicated by the irrigation equipment manufacturer's specifications
or demonstrated by the project applicant,the irrigation efficiency of
the irrigation heads used within each hydrozone shall be as listed in
Section 2.2.C.(9).
(n) It is highly recommended that the project applicant or local agency
inquire with the local water purveyor about peak water operating
demands(on the water supply system)or water restrictions that may
impact the effectiveness of the irrigation system.
(o) In mulched planting areas, the use of low volume irrigation (drip or
low volume overhead irrigation) is required to maximize water
infiltration into the root zone; with the exception of areas with fuel
modification requirements and/or those that require plan
establishment to comply with local grading Ordinances.
(p) Sprinkler heads and other emission devices must have matched
precipitation rates, unless otherwise directed by the manufacturer's
recommendations.
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(q) Head to head coverage is recommended.However,sprinkler spacing
must be designed to achieve the highest possible distribution
uniformity using the manufacturer's recommendations.
(r) Swing joint components are required on all sprinklers subject to
damage that are adjacent to hardscapes or in high traffic areas of turf
grass.
(s) Check valves or anti-drain valves are required on all sprinkler heads
where low point drainage could occur.
(t) Areas less than ten (10) feet in width in any direction must be
irrigated with subsurface irrigation or other means that produces no
runoff or overspray.
(u) Overhead irrigation is not permitted within 24 inches of any non-
permeable surface. Allowable irrigation within the setback from
non-permeable surfaces may include drip, drip line, or other low
flow non-spray technology. The setback area may be planted or
unplanted. The surfacing of the setback may be mulch, gravel, or
other porous material. These restrictions may be modified if:
1. the landscape area is adjacent to permeable surfacing and no
runoff occurs; or
2. the adjacent non-permeable surfaces are designed and
constructed to drain entirely to landscaping; or
3. the irrigation designer for the landscape project specifies an
alternative design or technology, as part of the Landscape
Documentation Package, and clearly demonstrates strict
adherence to the irrigation system design criteria in Section
2.5.A.(1)(i) hereof Prevention of overspray and runoff must be
confirmed during an irrigation audit.
4. Slopes greater than 25% may not be irrigated with an irrigation
system with an application rate exceeding 0.75 inches per hour.
This restriction may be modified if the landscape designer of the
landscape project specifies an alternative design or technology,
as part of the Landscape Documentation Package, and clearly
demonstrates no runoff or erosion will occur. Prevention of
runoff and erosion must be confirmed during the irrigation audit.
(2) Hydrozone
(a) Each valve must irrigate a hydrozone with similar site, slope, sun
exposure,soil conditions,and plant materials with similar water use.
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(b) Sprinkler heads and other emission devices must be selected based
on what is appropriate for the plant type within that hydrozone.
(c) Where feasible,trees must be placed on separate valves from shrubs,
groundcovers, and turf to facilitate the appropriate irrigation of
trees. The mature size and extent of the root zone shall be
considered when designing irrigation for the tree.
(d) Individual hydrozones that mix plants of moderate and low water
use or moderate and high water use may be allowed if:
1. The plant factor calculation is based on the proportions of the
respective plant water uses and their respective plant factors; or
2. The plant factor of the higher water using plant is used for the
calculations.
(e) Individual hydrozones that mix high and low water use plants are
not permitted.
(f) On the landscape design plan and irrigation design plan, hydrozone
areas must be designated by number,letter, or other designation. On
the irrigation design plan,designate the areas irrigated by each valve
and assign a number to each valve.
(g) The irrigation design plan, at a minimum, must contain:
1. The location and size of separate water meters for landscape;
2. The location, type, and size of all components of the irrigation
system, including controllers, main and lateral lines, valves,
sprinkler heads, moisture sensing devices, rain switches, quick
couplers, pressure regulators, and backflow prevention devices;
3. Static water pressure at the point of connection to the public
water supply;
4. Flow rate (gallons per minute), application rate (inches per
hour), and design operating pressure (pressure per square inch)
for each station;
5. Irrigation schedule parameters necessary to program smart
timers specified in the landscape design;
6. The following statement: "I have complied with the criteria of
the City of Rosemead Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance
(Rosemead Municipal Code Chapter 13.08) and applied them
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accordingly for the efficient use of water in the irrigation
design plan;" and
7. The signature of a California-licensed landscape professional.
[Note: Authority Cited: Section 65595, Government Code.
Reference: Section 65596, Government Code.]
2.6 Grading Design Plan
A. For the efficient use of water, grading of a landscape project site must be designed
to minimize soil erosion, runoff, and water waste. Finished grading configuration
of the landscape area, including pads, slopes, drainage, post-construction erosion
control, and storm water control Best Management Practices, as applicable, must
be shown on the Landscape Plan unless this information is fully included in separate
Grading Plans for the project, or unless the project is limited to replacement
planting and/or irrigation to rehabilitate an existing landscape area. The Landscape
Grading Design Plan shall be prepared in compliance with the City of Rosemead
Building Code or comply with Section 2.6.B and 2.6.C.
B. The project applicant must submit a landscape grading plan that indicates finished
configurations and elevations of the landscape area including:
(1) Height of graded slopes;
(2) Drainage patterns;
(3) Pad elevations;
(4) Finish grade; and
(5) Storm water retention improvements, if applicable.
C. To prevent excessive erosion and runoff, it is highly recommended that the project
applicant:
(1) Grade so that all irrigation and normal rainfall remains within property lines
and does not drain on to non-permeable hardscapes;
(2) Avoid disruption of natural drainage patterns and undisturbed soil; and
(3) Avoid soil compaction in landscaped areas.
D. The Grading Design Plan must contain the following statement: "I have complied
with the criteria of the Rosemead Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance(Rosemead
Municipal Code Chapter 13.08) and applied them accordingly for the efficient use
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of water in the grading design plan" and shall bear the signature of the landscape
professional, as required by law.
[Note: Authority Cited: Section 65595, Government Code. Reference: Section
65596, Government Code.]
2.7 Certification of Completion
A. Landscape project installation may not proceed until the Landscape Documentation
Package has been approved by the City and any ministerial permits required are
issued.
B. The project applicant shall notify the City at the beginning of the installation work
and at intervals, as necessary, for the duration of the landscape project,to schedule
all required inspections.
C. Certification of Completion of the landscape project shall be submitted prior to
Planning and Building Department final inspection approvals. The requirements
for the Final Inspection and Permit Closure include submittal of:
(1) A Landscape Installation Certificate of Completion form included as
Appendix "E" of these Guidelines, which must include: (i) certification by
a landscape professional that the landscape project has been installed per
the approved Landscape Documentation Package; and (ii) the following
statement: "The landscaping has been installed in substantial conformance
to the design plans, and complies with the provisions of the Water Efficient
Landscape Ordinance for the efficient use of water in the landscape."
(a) Where there have been significant changes (as deemed by the local
permitting agency) made in the field during construction, these "as-
built' or record drawings shall be included with the certificate.
(b) A diagram of the irrigation plan showing hydrozones shall be kept
with the irrigation controller for subsequent management purposes.
(2) Documentation of the irrigation scheduling parameters used to set the
controller(s);
(3) An irrigation audit report from a local agency landscape irrigation auditor
or third party certified landscape irrigation auditor, documentation of
enrollment in regional or local water purveyor(s) water conservation
programs, and/or documentation that the MAWA and EAWU information
for the landscape project has been submitted to the local water purveyor,
may be required at the option of the City. Example Irrigation Inspection
Affidavit is included in Appendix"H".
(a) Landscape audits shall not be conducted by the person or firm who
designed or installed the landscape.
17
(b) In large projects, or projects with multiple landscape installations
(i.e. production home developments or common interest
developments) an auditing rate of 1 in 7 lots or approximately 15%
will satisfy this requirement.
[Note: Authority Cited: Section 65595, Government Code. Reference:
Section 65596, Government Code.]
2.8 Post-Installation Irrigation Scheduling
A. For the efficient use of water, all irrigation schedules must be developed,managed,
and evaluated to utilize the minimum amount of water required to maintain plant
health. Irrigation schedules must meet the following criteria:
(1) Irrigation scheduling must be regulated by automatic irrigation controllers.
(2) Overhead irrigation must be in accordance with the Chapter 13.04 of the
Rosemead Municipal Code and local water purveyor(s)Water Conservation
Ordinance. Operation of the irrigation system outside the normal watering
window is allowed for auditing and system maintenance.
[Note: Authority Cited: Section 65595, Government Code. Reference:
Section 65596, Government Code.]
2.9 Post-Installation Landscape and Irrigation Maintenance
A. Landscapes must be maintained to ensure water use efficiency in accordance with
existing local agency code.
3. Provisions for Existing Landscapes
A. Irrigation of all landscape areas must be conducted in a manner conforming to the
rules and requirements and must be subject to penalties and incentives for water
conservation and water waste prevention, as determined and implemented by the
local water purveyor and as may be mutually agreed upon by the City.
B. The City and/or the regional or local water purveyor may administer programs such
as irrigation water use analyses, irrigation surveys and/or irrigation audits, tiered
water rate structures, water budgeting by parcel, or other approaches to achieve
landscape water use efficiency community-wide to a level equivalent to or less than
would be achieved by applying a MAWA calculated with an ETAF of 0.8 to all
landscape areas in the City over one acre in size.
C. The architectural guidelines of a common interest development, including
apartments, condominiums, planned developments, and stock cooperatives, may
not prohibit or include conditions that have the effect of prohibiting the use of low-
water use plants as a group.
18
[Note: Authority Cited: Section 65595, Government Code. Reference: Section
65596, Government Code.]
4. Public Education
A. Education is a critical component to promote the efficient use of water in
landscapes. The use of appropriate principles of design, installation, management,
and maintenance that save water is encouraged in the community.
B. All model homes that are landscaped shall use signs and written information to
demonstrate the principles of water efficient landscapes as described.
(1) Signs shall be used to identify the model as an example of a water efficient
landscape featuring elements such as hydrozones,irrigation equipment, and
others that contribute to the overall water efficient theme. Signage shall
include information about the site water use as designed per the local
Ordinance; specify who designed and installed the site water efficient
landscape; and demonstrate low water use approaches to landscaping such
as using appropriate plants, alternative water sources, or rainwater
catchment systems.
(2) Information shall be provided about designing, installing, managing, and
maintaining water efficient landscapes.
[Note: Authority Cited: Section 65595, Government Code. Reference:
Section 65596, Government Code.]
19
Appendix A
PRESCRIPTIVE COMPLIANCE OPTION
A. This. Appendix contains prescriptive requirements which may be used as a
compliance option to the Ordinance.
B. Compliance with the following items is mandatory and must be documented in a
landscape plan in order to use the prescriptive compliance option:
(1) Submit a Landscape Documentation Package 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, rehabilitated, public, private, cemetery,
homeowner-installed)
(f) Water supply type (e.g., potable, recycled, well) 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 to the
WELO"
(2) Incorporate compost at a rate of at least four cubic yards per 1,000 square
feet to a depth of six inches into landscaped area (unless contra-indicated
by a soil test);
(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% of the plant area excluding edibles and areas
using recycled water; For nonresidential areas, install climate
adapted plants that require occasional, little or no summer water
(average WUCOLS plant factor 0.3) for 100% of the plant area
excluding edibles and areas using recycled water;
20
(b) A minimum three inch (3") 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.
(4) Turf shall comply with all of the following:
(a) Turf shall not exceed 25% of the landscaped area in residential
areas, and there shall be no turf in nonresidential 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.
(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 inthe
ANSI standard, ASABE/ICC802-2014. "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.
C. 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.
21
Appendix B
CERTIFICATION OF LANDSCAPE DESIGN
I hereby certify that:
(1) I am a professional appropriately licensed in the State of California to provide professional
landscape design services.
(2) The landscape design and water use calculations for the property located at
(provide street address or parcel number(s)) were prepared by me or under my supervision.
(3) The landscape design and water use calculations for the identified property comply with
the requirements of the City of Rosemead Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance(Municipal Code
Chapter 13.08) and the City of Rosemead Guidelines for Implementation of the City of Rosemead
Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance.
(4) The information I have provided in this Certificate of Landscape Design is true and correct
and is hereby submitted in compliance with the City of Rosemead Guidelines for Implementation
of the City of Rosemead Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance.
Print Name Date
Signature License Number
Address
Telephone
E-mail Address
Landscape Design Professional's Stamp
If a••licable
22
Appendix C
Water Efficient Landscape Worksheet
This worksheet is filled out by the project applicant and it is a required item of the Landscape Documentation Package.
Landscape Area Sector Type [] Residential
Reference Evapotranspiration(ETo)a: (select one): [] Non-Residential
Plant Irrigation Estimated Total Water
Hydrozone#/Planting Factorb Irrigation Efficiency` Landscape Used
Description Location (PF) Method` (IE) ETAF(PF/IE) Area (sq-ft) ETAF x Area (ETWU)
Regular Landscape Area
1
2
4 .
5
Average Total Total
Average ETAF for Regular Landscape Areas' In
(circle one): Compliance Not In Compliance
Special Landscape Area
SLA-1
SLA-2
SLA-3
SLA-4
SLA-5 •
Totals
Total Landscape Area
Site wide ETAF
ETWU Total
Maximum Allowed Water Allowance(MAWA)f
23
WORKSHEET INFORMATION & EQUATIONS
a Local monthly evapotranspiration rates are listed in Appendix D.
b The following table can be used for common plant factors:
Plant Factor PF
Very low water use plant 0.1
Low water use plant 0.2
Medium water use plant 0.5
High water use plant 0.8
Lawn 0.8
Pool, spa,or other water feature 1.0
°Irrigation efficiency is derived from measurements and estimates of irrigation system characteristics and
management practices.The minimum average irrigation efficiency for purposes of these Guidelines is 0.71.
The following irrigation efficiency may be obtained for the listed irrigation heads with an Irrigation
Management Efficiency of 90%:
Irrigation Method IE
Spray nozzles 71%
High efficiency spray nozzles 73%
Multi stream/Multi trajectory rotary(MSMT)nozzles 76%
Stream rotor nozzle 73%
Microspray 76%
Bubblers 77%
Drip emitter 81%
Subsurface drip 81%
d Estimated Total Water Use(ETWU) is the annual gallons required
ETWU=(ETo)x(0.62)x(ETAF x Area)
where, ETo=annual evapotranspiration rate in inches per year
0.62=factor used to convert inches per year to gallons per square foot
ETAF=plant factor_irrigation efficiency
e Average ETAF for Regular Landscape Areas must be 0.55 or below for residential areas, and 0.45 or
below for nonresidential areas.
f Maximum Allowed Water Allowance(MAWA) is the annual gallons allowed
MAWA=(ETo)x(0.62)x[(ETAF x LA)+((1-ETAF)x SLA)]
where, ETo=annual evapotranspiration rate in inches per year
0.62=factor used to convert inches per year to gallons per square foot
ETAF=plant factor-irrigation efficiency
LA=total(site wide) landscape area in square feet
SLA=total special landscape area
24
Appendix D
REFERENCE EVAPOTRANSPIRATION (ETO) TABLE
LOS ANGELES Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Annual
Monrovia 2.2 2.3 3.8 4.3 5.5 5.9 6.9 6.4 5.1 3.2 2.5 2.0 50.2
Pasadena 2.1 2.7 3.7 4.7 5.1 6.0 7.1 6.7 5.6 4.2 2.6 2.0 52.3
* The values in this table were derived from:
1. California Irrigation Management Information System (CIMIS);
2. Reference Evapotranspiration Zones Map, UC Dept. of Land, Air& Water Resources and
California Department of Water Resources 1999; and
3. Reference Evapotranspiration for California, University of California, Department of
Agriculture and Natural Resources (1987) Bulletin 1922, Determining Daily Reference
Evapotranspiration, Cooperative Extension UC Division of Agriculture and
4. Natural Resources (1987), Publication Leaflet 21426
25
Appendix E
LANDSCAPE INSTALLATION CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION
I hereby certify that:
(1) I am a professional appropriately licensed in the State of California to provide professional
landscape design services for (project name,
mailing address, and telephone).
(2) The landscape project for the property located at
(provide street address or parcel number(s)) was installed by me or under my supervision.
(3) The landscaping for the identified property has been installed in substantial conformance
with the approved Landscape Documentation Package and complies with the requirements of the
City of Rosemead Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance (Municipal Code Chapter 13.08 and the
City of Rosemead Guidelines for Implementation of the City of Rosemead Water Efficient
Landscape Ordinance for the efficient use of water in the landscape.
(4) The following elements are attached hereto:
a. Irrigation scheduling parameters used to set the controller;
b. Landscape and irrigation maintenance schedule;
c. Irrigation audit report; and
d. Soil analysis report, if not submitted with Landscape Document Package, and
documentation verifying implementation of the soil report recommendations.
(5) The site installation complies with the following:
a. The required irrigation system has been installed according to approved plans and
specifications and if applicable, any prior approved irrigation system alternatives.
Yes No
b. Sprinklers comply with ASABE/ICC 802-2014 Landscape Irrigation Sprinkler &
Emitter Standard.
Yes No
26
•
(6) The information I have provided in this Landscape Installation Certificate of Completion is
true and correct and is hereby submitted in compliance with the City of Rosemead Guidelines for
Implementation of the City of Rosemead Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance.
Print Name Date
Signature License Number
Address
Telephone
E-mail Address
Landscape Design Professional's Stamp
If a..licable
27
•
Appendix F
DEFINITIONS
The terms used in these Guidelines have the meaning set forth below:
"Aggregate" area pertains to production home neighborhoods, common interest developments,or
other situations where multiple parcels are undergoing landscape development as one project, but
may eventually be individually owned or maintained.
"Backflow prevention device" means a safety device used to prevent pollution or contamination
of the water supply due to the reverse flow of water from the irrigation system.
"Check valve" or "anti-drain valve" means 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.
"Certified Landscape Irrigation Auditor" means person certified to perform landscape
irrigation audits by an accredited academic institution, a professional trade organization or other
program such as the US Environmental Protection Agency's WaterSense irrigation auditor
certification program'and Irrigation Association's Certified Landscape Irrigation Auditor program.
"Certification of Design" means the certification included as Exhibit E Appendix B of these
Guidelines that must be included in the Landscape Documentation Package pursuant to Section
2.1 of these Guidelines.
"Common interest developments" means community apartment projects, condominium
projects,planned developments, and stock cooperatives per Civil Code Section 1351.
"Distribution Uniformity" or "DU" is a measure of how uniformly an irrigation head applies
water to a specific target area and theoretically ranges form zero to 100 percent.
"Drip" irrigation means 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.
"Emitter" means a drip irrigation emission device that delivers water slowly from the system to
the soil.
"Estimated Applied Water Use" or"EAWU"means the annual total amount of water estimated
to keep plants in a healthy state. It is based on factors such as reference evapotranspiration rate,
the size of the landscaped area, plant water use factors, and the irrigation efficiency within each
hydrozone.
28
"Evapotranspiration adjustment factor"or"ETAF"means a factor of 0.55 for residential areas
and 0.45 for nonresidential areas, 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. The ETAF for a new and existing (non-rehabilitated) Special
Landscape Area shall not exceed 1.0. The ETAF for existing non-rehabilitated landscapes is 0.8.
"Evapotranspiration rate"means the quantity of water evaporated from adjacent soil and other
surfaces and transpired by plants during a specified time.
"Flow rate" means 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.
"Graywater" means a system untreated wastewater that has not been contaminated by any toilet
discharge,has not been affected by infectious, contaminated,or unhealthy bodily wastes,and does
not present a threat from contamination by unhealthy processing, manufacturing, or operating
wastes. Graywater includes, but is not limited to, wastewater from bathtubs, showers, bathroom
washbasins, clothes washing machines. And laundry tubs, but does not include wastewater from
kitchen sinks or dishwashers as per the Health and Safety Code (Section 17922.12). Graywater
systems promote the efficient use of water and are encouraged to assist in on-site landscape
irrigation. All graywater systems shall conform to the California Plumbing Code(Title 24,Part 5,
Chapter 16) and any applicable local Ordinance standards.
"Hardscapes" means any durable material or feature (pervious or non-pervious) installed in or
around a landscape area, such as pavement or walls. Pools and other water features are considered
part of the landscaped area and not considered hardscapes for purposes of the Guidelines.
"Hydrozone" means a portion of the landscaped area having plants with similar water needs and
typically irrigated by one valve/controller station. A hydrozone may be irrigated or non-irrigated.
"Infiltration rate" means the rate of water entry into the soil expressed as a depth of water per
unit of time (e.g., inches per hour).
"Invasive plants species"or"noxious"means species of plants not historically found in California
that spread outside cultivated areas and can damage environmental or economic resources.
Invasive plant species may be regulated by county agricultural agencies as noxious species.
"Irrigation audit" means 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 Management Efficiency" or "IME" means the measurement used to calculate the
irrigation efficiency of the'irrigation system for a landscaped project. A 90%IME can be achieved
by using evapotranspiration controllers, soil moisture sensors, and other methods that will adjust
irrigation run times to meet plant water needs.
29
"Irrigation efficiency" or"IE"means the measurement of the amount of water beneficially used
divided by the amount of water applied to a landscape area. Irrigation efficiency is derived from
measurements and estimates of irrigation system characteristics and management practices. The
minimum average irrigation efficiency for purposes of these Guidelines is 0.71. Greater irrigation
efficiency can be expected from well designed and maintained systems. The following irrigation
efficiency may be obtained for the listed irrigation heads with an IME of 90%:
Irrigation Method DULQ DULH* EU IE**
Spray nozzles 65% 79% 71%
High efficiency spray nozzles 75% 82% 73%
Multi stream/Multi trajectory 75% 85% 76%
rotary(MSMT)nozzles
Stream rotor nozzle 70% 82% 73%
Microspray 75% 85% 76%
Bubblers 85% 77%
Drip emitter 90% 81%
Subsurface drip 90% 81%
*DULH=.386+(.614)(DULQ)
** IE(spray)=(DULH)(IME)
** IE(drip)=Emission uniformity(EU)(IME)
"Landscape coefficient" (KL) is the product of a plant factor multiplied by a density factor and a
microclimate factor. The landscape coefficient is derived to.estimate water loss from irrigated
landscaped areas and special landscape areas.
"Landscape Documentation Package" means the package of documents that a project
applicant is required to submit to the City pursuant to Section 2.1 of these Guidelines.
"Landscape Installation Certificate of Completion" means the certificate included as Exhibit
B Appendix E of these Guidelines that must be submitted to the City pursuant to Section 2.7 of
hereof.
"Landscape professional" means a licensed landscape architect, licensed landscape contractor,
or any other person authorized to design a landscape pursuant to Sections 5500.1, 5615, 5641,
5641.1, 5641.2, 5641.3, 5641.4, 5641.5, 5641.6, 6701, 7027.5 of the California Business and
Professions Code, Section 832.27 of Title 16 of the California Code of Regulations, and Section
6721 of the California Food and Agriculture Code.
• "Landscape area" means all the planting areas, turf areas, and water features in a landscape
design plan subject to the Maximum Applied Water Allowance and Estimated Applied Water Use
calculations. The landscaped 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).
"Lateral line" means the water delivery pipeline that supplies water to the emitters or sprinklers
from the valve.
30
"Low volume irrigation" means 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.
"Low volume overhead irrigation"means aboveground irrigation heads with an upper flow limit
of 0.5 GPM.
"Main line"means the pressurized pipeline that delivers water from the water source to the valve
or outlet.
"Manual Isolation Valve" means a valve such as a gate valve, ball valve, or butterfly valve
installed downstream of the point of connection of the water supply to shutdown water flow
through mainline piping for routine maintenance and emergency repair.
"Master Shut-off Valve"an electronic valve such as a solenoid valve installed as close as possible
to the point of connection and is used in conjunction with a flow sensor and flow monitoring
controller technology to automatically shutdown system wide water flow in the event of high flow
conditions such as mainline pipe break.
"Maximum Applied Water Allowance" or "MAWA" means the upper limit of annual applied
water for the established landscaped area, as specified in Section 2.2 of these Guidelines. It is
based upon the area's reference evapotranspiration,the ETAF, and the size of the landscaped area.
The Estimated Applied Water Use shall not exceed the Maximum Applied Water Allowance.
"Microclimate" means 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.
"Mulch"means any organic material such as leaves,bark, straw or compost, or inorganic mineral
materials such as rocks, gravel, or 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.
"Non-pervious"means any surface or natural material that does not allow for the passage of water
through the material and into the underlying soil.
"Operating pressure"means the pressure at which the parts of an irrigation system of sprinklers
are designed to operate at by the manufacturer
"Overspray" means the irrigation water which is delivered beyond the target area.
"Person" means any natural person, firm,joint venture,joint stock company, partnership, public
or private association, club, company, corporation, business trust, organization, public or private
agency, government agency or institution, school district, college, university, any other user of
water provided by the City or the local water purveyor, or the manager, lessee, agent, servant,
officer, or employee of any of them or any other entity which is recognized by law as the subject
of rights or duties.
31
"Pervious" means 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" is a factor, when multiplied by ETo, that estimates the
amount of water needed by plants. For purposes of this Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance,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 these Guidelines are derived from the Department of Water Resources 2000
publication"Water Use Classification of Landscape Species."
"Precipitation rate"means the rate of application of water measured in inches per hour.
"Project applicant" means the person submitting a Landscape Documentation Package required
under Section 2.1 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.
"Property owner" or "owner" means the record owner of real property as shown on the most
recently issued equalized assessment roll.
"Reference evapotranspiration" or `ETo" means a standard measurement of environmental
parameters which affect the water use of plants. ETo is given expressed in inches per day,month,
or year as represented in Appendix "D" of these Guidelines, 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
Allowances.
"Recycled water" or "reclaimed water" means 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.
"Runoff" means water which is not absorbed by the soil or landscape to which it is applied and
flows from the landscaped 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.
"Special Landscape Areas" or"SLA"means an area of the landscape dedicated solely to edible
plants such as orchards and vegetable gardens, areas irrigated with recycled water, water features
using recycled water, and areas dedicated to active play such as community pools and spas,parks,
sports fields, golf courses, and where turf provides a playing surface.
"Sprinkler head"means a device which delivers water through a nozzle.
"Static water pressure"means the pipeline or municipal water supply pressure when water is not
flowing.
"Station" means an area served by one valve or by a set of valves that operate simultaneously.
32
"Swing joint" means 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" means 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" means a device used to control the flow of water in an irrigation system.
"Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance" means City of Rosemead Ordinance No. 960 and
codified in Title 13, Chapter 13.08 of the Rosemead Municipal Code.
"Water Efficient Landscape Worksheets" means the worksheets required to be completed
pursuant to Section 2.2 of these Guidelines and which are included in Appendix"C"hereof.
"Water feature" means a design element where open water performs an aesthetic or recreational
function. Water features include ponds, lakes, waterfalls, fountains, artificial streams, spas, and
swimming pools (where water is artificially supplied). The surface area of water features is
included in the high water use hydrozone of the landscape area. Constructed wetlands used for on-
site wastewater treatment, habitat protection, or storm water best management practices that are
not irrigated and used solely for water treatment or storm water retention are not water features
and,therefore, are not subject to the water budget calculation.
"Watering window"means the time of day irrigation is allowed.
"WUCOLS"means the Water Use Classification of Landscape published by the University of
California Cooperative Extension,the Department of Water Resources, and the Bureau of
Reclamation, 2000. www.owue.water.ca.gov/docs/wucols00
33
Appendix G
This is a voluntary compliance tool template developed by the Irrigation Association.
IRRIGATION PLAN CHECKLIST
Please complete the following checklist by checking all appropriate categories under
APPLICANT column, indicating compliance with these content requirements. All submitted
plans shall contain the following information:
LANDSCAPE PLAN NUMBER:
NAME OF PROJECT:
Applicant Planner
[] 1. Prevailing winds [
[] 2. Slope aspect and degree of slope [
[] 3. Soil type and infiltration rate [] E
[ 4. Vegetation type [
[] 5. Microclimates [
[] 6. Expansive or hazardous soil conditions [
[] 7. Water harvesting potential []
[] 8. Available water supply, including non-potable and recycled water [
All pertinent system information is indicated, including:
[] 9. Irrigation zones substantially corresponding to hydrozones on the landscape plan and [
labeled by precipitation rates and method of application
[] 10. Water meters [
[] 11. Tap-in location [
[] 12. Static water pressure at the point of connection [
[] 13. System controller [
[] 14. Rain sensor/shut-off device • []
[] 15. Backflow preventers [
[] 16. Shut-off valves and zone control valves [
[] 17. Main line and lateral piping [
[] 18. Sprinkler heads [
[] 19. Bubblers and drip irrigation tubing runs [
[] 20. Type and size of main irrigation system components [
[] 21. Total required operating pressure for each control valve/zone [
[] 22. Graphic depiction of the locations of irrigation system components [
[] 23. Total required operating pressure for each control valve/zone [
[] 24. Any supplemental stormwater and/or runoff harvesting [
System design is in conformance with the following standards:
[] 25. Certification of Professional Qualifications,attached [
[] 26. Pedestrian surfaces located on plan [
[] 27. Equipment installed flush with grade for safety []
[] 28. Compliance with local codes []
[] 29. Overspray onto impervious areas minimized [
34
7
Appendix H
This is a voluntary compliance tool template developed by the Irrigation Association.
IRRIGATION INSPECTION AFFIDAVIT
(To be submitted in conformance with Code Section 309.C)
Irrigation Plan File No: Name of Project
Irrigation Plan Designer: Inspector. •
Date(s)of Inspection:
This project was inspected within the limits of customary access for compliance with the
approved irrigation plan on file in City Planning. At least two(2) inspections were conducted. The
findings are as follows:
(Check One) Yes No
A Inspection during construction to check main line in open trench:
• 1. Location of main line conforms to as-built plan
2. Size of main line conforms to plan
3. Depth of main line conforms to plan
4. Main line condition is undamaged
5, Main line pressure tested with water and meter to c eck for visible leaks
6. Specific observations attached If needed
8. Inspection after completion of system Installation prior to seeding or sodding:
1. Settling along trenches Is absent .
2. System components(l.e•,controller, c ow preventer,rain sensor,
etc.)Installed as specified
1 Rotary heads pressure tested
4. System activated for obsorvaton of compllancc tft
5. Landscape components are riot b.cking applca Ion
6. Each station comp lesWith deslgnD-s-built plan
7. Matched precippiit#atii nn rates provide-d'.y zone
8. As-built plan prop to owne
9. Sped bservationa attar ed a• needed
I hereby c ify that I arri o Ilfled to submit this Irrigation Inspection affidavit based on the qualification indicated
below,+sec one)
Celrti*fiiee'd irrigation Designer ert fled by Th9 rrigation Association.Indicate year of certification
State: Licensed No.
•
State Agency Pho a No. ( ) 9
Name
(PRINT) Signature
Date
35 .
ATTACHMENT B
Reserved
4
ORDINANCE NO. 960
AN ORDINANCE OF THE ROSEMEAD CITY COUNCIL,
AMENDING CHAPTER 13.08 OF THE ROSEMEAD
MUNICIPAL CODE AMENDING THE WATER EFFICIENT
LANDSCAPE STANDARDS AND GUIDELINES TO BE
CONSISTENT WITH STATE LAW
WHEREAS, the waters of the State of California are of limited supply and
are subject to ever increasing demands; and
WHEREAS, the continuation of economic prosperity is dependent on the
availability of adequate supplies of water for future uses; and
WHEREAS, landscapes are essential to the quality of life in the State and
the City of Rosemead by providing areas for active and passive recreation and as
an enhancement to the environment by cleaning air and water, preventing erosion,
offering fire protection, and replacing ecosystems lost to development; and
WHEREAS, landscape design, installation, maintenance, and management
can and should be water efficient; and
WHEREAS, Article X, Section 2 of the California Constitution specifies that
the right to use water is limited to the amount reasonably required for the beneficial
use to be served, and the right does not and shall not extend to waste or
unreasonable method of use of water; and
WHEREAS, the recent drought has emphasized the need to be prudent in
the use and conservation of water; and
WHEREAS, the City adopted Ordinance No. 885 Water Efficient Landscapes
in 2009, which implemented standards to regulate water efficient landscapes in
accordance with AB 1881, and
WHEREAS, pursuant Governor Brown's Drought Executive Order of April 1,
2015 (EO B-29-15), the California Water Commission approved an update the
State's Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance; and
WHEREAS, the State requires local agencies to adopt the 2015 State Model
Ordinance or an ordinance that is "at least as effective" in conserving water; and
WHEREAS, to comply with State requirements, to provide consistency with
other jurisdictions, and to ease use for applicants, the City desires to adopt a
regional Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance that is "at least as effective as" 2015
State Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance, and
1
THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF ROSEMEAD HEREBY ORDAINS AS
FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1: The City Council of the City of Rosemead does hereby find,
determine, and declare that:
A. The City of Rosemead has benefited from the installation of reclaimed water
infrastructure by the San Gabriel Valley Water Company and Golden State Water
Company that is servicing several large private properties; and
B. Allocation-based and tiered water rate structures allow public agencies to
document water use in landscapes; and
C. Current local design practices in new landscapes strive to achieve the intent
of the State Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance water use goals; and
D. All water services within the City are metered and billed based on the volume
of use; and
E. All.new irrigation controllers sold after 2012 within the City will be smart
irrigation controllers; and
F. Landscape plan submittal and review has been a long standing practice in
the City of Rosemead, and
G. The local water purveyors for the City of Rosemead are implementing
budget-based tiered rate billing and/or enforcement of water waste prohibitions for
all existing metered landscape areas throughout their service area, which combined
includes the entire City of Rosemead. In addition, the City of Rosemead continues
to enforce Chapter 13.04 of the Rosemead Municipal Code pertaining to Water
Conservation. Pursuant to Rosemead Municipal Code Section 13.04.030, no water
user shall waste water from any source nor shall any person sanction such waste.
SECTION 2: Amendment to Title 13. Rosemead Municipal Code Title 13
"Public Services", Chapter 13.08 "Water Efficient Landscapes" is amended to read
as follows:
WATER EFFICEINT LANDSCAPES
Sections:
13.08.010 Purpose.
The purpose of this Chapter is to establish water efficient landscape regulations that
are acceptable under Governor Brown's April 1, 2015 Drought Executive Order (B-
29-15) and that are at least as effective in conserving water as the State Model
2 .
Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance, in the context of conditions in the City, in
order to ensure that landscapes are planned, designed, installed, maintained, and
managed in a manner that uses water efficiently, encourages water conservation,
and prevents water waste. The provisions of this Chapter shall be deemed to be
controlling over the subject matter herein in the event of any conflict between this
Chapter and any other provision in the Municipal Code.
13.08.020 Definitions.
For the purposes of this Chapter and the Guidelines for the implementation of this
Chapter, the following terms are defined:
"City" means the City of Rosemead.
"City Manager" means the City Manager of the City of Rosemead or his or her
designee.
"Aggregate landscape areas" pertains to the areas undergoing development as
one project for production home neighborhoods or other situations where multiple parcels
are undergoing development as one project, but will eventually be individually owned.
"Applicant" means the person submitting a landscape documentation package.
Applicants can be the property owner or his or her designee.
"Applied water" means the portion of water supplied by the irrigation system to the
landscape.
"Budget-based tiered-rate structure" means tiered or block rates for irrigation
accounts charged by the local water purveyor(s) in which the block definition for each
customer is derived from lot size or irrigated area and the evapotranspiration
requirements of landscaping.
"Ecological restoration project" means a project where the site is intentionally
altered to establish a defined, indigenous, historic ecosystem.
"Estimated applied water use" or"EAWU" means the average annual total amount
of water estimated to be necessary to keep plants in a healthy state, calculated as
provided in the Guidelines. It is based on the reference evapotranspiration rate, the size
of the landscape area, plant water use factors, and the relative irrigation efficiency of the
irrigation system.
"Evapotranspiration adjustment factor"or"ET adjustment factor"or"ETAF" is equal
to the plant factor divided by the irrigation efficiency factor for a landscape project, as
described in the Guidelines. The ETAF is calculated in the context of local reference
evapotranspiration, using site-specific plant factors and irrigation efficiency factors that
influence the amount of water that needs to be applied to the specific landscaped- area.
3
of (0.7) - (0.5/0.71), which is the standard of water use efficiency generally required by
not exceed 1.0.
"Guidelines" refers to the Guidelines for Implementation of the Water Efficient
Landscape Ordinance, as approved by the City, which describes procedures,
calculations, and requirements for landscape projects subject to this Chapter.
"Hardscapes" means any durable material or feature (pervious and non-pervious)
installed in or around a landscaped area, such as pavements or walls. Pools and other
water features are considered part of the landscaped area and are not considered
hardscapes.
"Homeowner installed" means any landscaping cithcr installed by a private
directly by a homeowner. A homeowner, for purposes of this chapter, is a person who
occupies the dwelling he or she owns. This definition excludes speculative homes, which
arc not owner occupied dwellings and which arc subject under this chapter to the
requirements applicable to developer installed residential landscape projects.
"Hydrozone" means a portion of the landscaped area having plants with similar
water needs and typically irrigated by one valve/controller station. A hydrozone may be
irrigated or non irrigated.
"Irrigation efficiency" or "IE" means the measurement of the amount of water
beneficially used divided by the amount of water applied to the landscaped area. Irrigation
efficiency is derived from measurements and estimates of irrigation system
characteristics and management practices. The irrigation efficiency for
purposes of this Chapter is 0.71are 0.75 for overhead spray devices and 0.81 for drip
systems. Greater irrigation efficiency can be expected from well designed and maintained
systems.
"Landscaped area" means all the planting areas, turf areas, and water features in
a landscape design plan subject to the Maximum Applied Water Allowance and Estimated
Applied Water Use calculations. The landscaped 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" means a person licensed by the State of California to
construct, maintain, repair, install, or subcontract the development of landscape systems.
4
"Landscape documentation package" means the documents required to be
provided to the City for review and approval of landscape projects subject to this Chapter,
as described in the Guidelines.
"Landscape professional" means a licensed landscape architect, licensed
Sections 55001, 5615, 5641, 5641.1, 5641.2, 5641.3, 5641.4, 5641.5, 5641.6, 6701,
"Landscape project" means total area of landscape in a project, as provided in the
definition of"landscaped area," meeting the requirements under Section 13.08.030 of this
Chapter.
"Landscape rehabilitation" means any re-landscaping project that meets the
applicability criteria of Section 13.08.030(A) of this Chapter, where the aggregate
modified landscape area is equal to or greater than 2,500 square feet or where the
cumulative modified area is equal to or greater than 2,500 square feet if the modifications
are planned to occur incrementally within one year.
"Local agency" means a city or county, including a charter city or charter county,
or local water purveyor that is authorized by the City to implement, administer, and/or
enforce any of the provisions of this Chapter on behalf of the City. The local agency may
be responsible for the enforcement or delegation of enforcement of this Chapter including,
but not limited to, design review, plan check, issuance of permits, and inspection of a
landscape project.
"Local water purveyor" means any entity, including a city, county, public agency,
or private water company that provides retail water service. Local water purveyor shall
also mean any entity that provides wholesale water service, for the purpose of Section
13.08.050(b)(1) and Section 13.08.070.
"Maximum applied water allowance" or "MAWA" means the upper limit of annual
applied water for the landscaped area as specified in Section 2.2 of the Guidelines. It is
based upon the area's reference evapotranspiration, the ET adjustment factor, and the
size of the landscaped area. The Estimated Applied Water Use shall not exceed the
MAWA. MAWA = (ETo) (0.62) j(ETAF x LA) + ((1-ETAF) x SLA)1
"Mined-land reclamation projects" means any surface mining operation with a
reclamation plan approved in accordance with the Surface Mining and Reclamation Act.
of 1975.
"New landscape" means, for the purposes of this Chapter, a new building with a
landscape or other new landscape such as a park, playground, or greenbelt without an
associated building.
5
"Non-pervious" means any surface or natural material that does not allow for the
passage of water through the material and into the underlying soil.
"Person" means any individual, firm, joint venture, joint stock company,
partnership, public or private association, company, corporation, business trust,
organization, public or private agency, government agency or institution, school district,
college, university, any other user of water provided by the local water purveyor, or the
manager, agent, officer, or employee thereof, or any other entity which is recognized by
law as the subject of rights or duties.
"Pervious" means any surface or material that allows the passage of water through
the material and into the underlying soil.
"Permit" means an authorizing document issued by a local agency for new
construction or rehabilitated landscape.
"Plant factor" or "plant water use factor" is a factor, when multiplied by ETo, that
estimates the amount of water needed by plants. For purposes of this Chapter, the plant
factor range for very low water use plants is 0 to 0.1; the plant factor 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 Dcpartment of Water Resources 2000 publication "Water
Use Classification of Landscape Species." Plant factors may also be obtained from
horticultural researchers from academic institutions or professional associations as
approved by the California Department of Water Resources (DWR).
"Recycled water or reclaimed water" means 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" means a standard measurement of
environmental parameters which affect the water use of plants. ETo is given expressed
in inches per day, month, or year as represented in the Guidelines, 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 Allowances.
"Smart automatic irrigation controller" means an automatic timing device used to
remotely control valvcs that operatc an irrigation system and which schedules irrigation
controllers utilizing either evapotranspiration (weather based) or soil
moisture sensor data with non-volatile memory shall be required for irrigation scheduling
in all irrigation systems, recommending U.S. EPA WaterSense labeled devices as
applicable.
6
•
"Special landscape. area" or "SLA" means an area of the landscape dedicated
solely to edible plants such as orchards and vegetable gardens; areas irrigated with
recycled water; water features using recycled water; and recreational areas dedicated to
active play where turf provides a playing surface, such as parks, sports fields, and-golf
courses, and where turf provides a playing surface.
"Turf" means 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. Aug ustinegrass, Zoysiagrass, and
Buffalo grass are warm-season grasses.
"Valve" means a device used to control the flow of water in an irrigation system.
"Water feature" means a design element where open water performs an aesthetic
or recreational function. Water features include ponds, lakes, waterfalls, fountains,
artificial streams, spas, and swimming pools (where water is artificially supplied). The
surface area of water features is included in the high water use hydrozone of the
landscaped area. Constructed wetlands used for on-site wastewater treatment, habitat
protection or storm water best management practices that are not irrigated and used
solely for water treatment or storm water retention are not water features and, therefore,
are not subject to the water budget calculation.
13.08.030. Applicability.
A. Beginning January 1, 2010 February 1, 2016, and consistent with Executive Order
No. B-29-15, this Chapter applies to the following landscape projects:
1. New landscape projects with an aggregate landscape area
landscape rehabilitation projects by public agencies or private non residential
features but excluding hardscape, equal to or greater than 2,500 500 square
feet, - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- • - -- . -- - - -
which otherwise require a ministerial permit for a landscape or water feature
requiring a building or landscape permit, plan check or design review;
2. , - . _ - _- _ - •_ • _ _ . .- Rehabilitated ion landscape projects
with an aggregate landscape area by developers or property managers of
single family and multi family residential projects or complexes with a
- - --- - --, . -- - - - - - - - - .e.-• - - - --, equaltoor
greater than 2,500 square feet, requiring a building permit or landscape permit,
plan check or design review; . - - - - - - - - - - - - - , - es - . -
landscape or water feature.
7
3. -New or rehabilitated landscape installations projects that are homeowner
lots with a total project with an aggregate landscape area of 2,500 square feet
or less may comply with the performance requirements of this Ordinance or
conform to the prescriptive measures contained in Appendix A of the
Guidelines. - • e - --- - -- - - - e - -- - - ... . . . - -- -
4. New or rehabilitated projects using treated or untreated graywater or rainwater
capture on site, any lot or parcels within the project that has less than 2,500
square feet of landscape area and meets the lot or parcel's landscape water
requirement (Estimated Total Water Use) entirely with the treated or untreated
graywater or though stored rainwater capture on site is subject only to Appendix
A of the Guidelines.
B. Section 13.08.060(b) of this Chapter regarding water waste applies to:
1. All landscaped areas, whether installed prior to or after January 1, 2010; and
2. All landscaped areas installed after February 1, 2016 to which Section
13.08.030.A is applicable.
. - •:! _ - . - - -_ . _ . - - -- - • - et .- -
size and are served by a dedicated landscape water meter.
13.08.040. Exemptions.
A. This Chapter does not apply to:
1.. Registered local, state, or federal historical sites;
2. Ecological restoration projects that do not require a permanent irrigation
system;
3. Mined-land reclamation projects that do not require a permanent irrigation
system; or
4. Plant collections, as part of botanical gardens and arboretums open to the
public.
•
B. The requirements of this Chapter may be partially or wholly waived, at the
discretion of the City Manager or his/her designee, for landscape rehabilitation
projects that are limited to replacement of plantings with equal or lower water
needs and where any modifications to the irrigation system do not require
8
•
ministerial permits and the irrigation system is found to be designed, operable, and
programmed consistent with minimizing water waste in accordance with local
water purveyor(s)' regulations or programs.
13.08.050. Implementation Procedures.
A. A Landscape Documentation Package is required to be submitted to the City for
review and approval prior to the issuance of permits and prior to the start of
construction. Any Landscape Documentation Package submitted to the City must
comply with provisions of this Chapter and the Guidelines.
B. The Landscape Documentation Package must include a certification by a
landscape professional stating that the landscape design plan, soil management
report, irrigation design plan, and water calculations have been prepared by or
under the supervision of the landscape professional and are certified to be in
compliance with the provisions of this Chapter.
1. Landscape and irrigation plans must be submitted to the City for review and
approval with appropriate water use calculations. Water use calculations must
be consistent with calculations contained in the Guidelines.
2. A Certification of Completion is required to verify compliance with the
approved plans and must be obtained in conjunction with a Certificate of Use
and Occupancy or a Permit Final, as provided in the Guidelines.
13.08.060. Landscape Water Use Standards.
A. For applicable new landscape or landscape rehabilitation projects subject to
Section 13.08.030(A) of this Chapter, the Estimated Applied Water Use allowed
for the landscaped area may not exceed the MAWA calculated using an ET
adjustment factor of 0.7, except for the portion of the MAWA applicable to any
special landscaped areas within the landscape project, which may be calculated
using an ETAF of 1.0. Where the design of the landscaped area can be otherwise
shown to be equivalently water efficient, the applicant may submit alternative or
abbreviated information supporting the demonstration that the annual EAWU is
less than the MAWA, at the discretion of and review and approval of the City.
B. Irrigation of all landscaped areas must be conducted in a manner conforming to
the rules and requirements, and is subject to penalties and incentives for water
conservation and water waste prevention as determined and implemented by the
local water purveyor(s) or as mutually agreed by local water purveyor(s) and the
City.
9
r
one acre in size and are served by a dedicated landscape water meter, the City
water use efficiency community wide.
13.08.070. Delegation.
The City may delegate to, or enter into an agreement with, one or more local
agencies to implement, administer, and/or enforce any of the provisions of this Chapter
on behalf of the City.
SECTION 3: Approval of Guidelines. The City Council hereby approves the
Guidelines for Implementation of the City of Rosemead Water Efficient Landscape
Ordinance, attached hereto as "Exhibit A" and incorporated herein by reference.
SECTION 4: Environmental Review. The City Council hereby determines that
• this Ordinance is exempt from review under the California Environmental Quality Act
("CEQA") (California Public Resources Code Section 21000 et seq.), because pursuant
to State CEQA Regulation 15307 (14 Cal. Code Regs., § 15307), this Ordinance is
covered by the CEQA Categorical Exemption for actions taken to assure the
maintenance, restoration, enhancement, or protection of a natural resource where the
regulatory process involves procedures for protection of the environment. The adoption
of this Ordinance will result in the enhancement and protection of water resources in the
City, and will not result in cumulative adverse environment impacts. It is therefore exempt
from the provisions of CEQA. The City Council hereby directs the City Manager or
designee to prepare and file a Notice of Exemption as soon as possible following adoption
of this Ordinance.
SECTION 5: Severability. If any section, subsection, phrase, or clause of this
Ordinance shall be deemed by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid for any
reason, the validity of the remaining sections, subsections, phrases, or clauses of this
Ordinance shall not be affected thereby.
SECTION 6: Effective Date. The Mayor shall sign and the City Clerk shall attest
to the passage of this Ordinance. This Ordinance will go into effect thirty (30) days from
its date of adoption.
SECTION 7: Publication. The City Clerk is directed to cause this Ordinance to
be published in the manner required by law for summary publication.
PASSED, APPROVED, AND ADOPTED this day of , 2015, by
the following vote, to wit:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSENT:
10
ABSTAIN:
Margaret Clark, Mayor
City of Rosemead, California
ATTEST:
Carol Cowley, Interim City Clerk
City of Rosemead, California:
APPROVED AS TO FORM
Rachel H. Richman, City Attorney
Burke, Williams & Sorensen, LLP
11
Reserved
GUIDELINES
FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF THE
CITY OF ROSEMEAD
WATER EFFICIENT LANDSCAPE
ORDINANCE (MWELO)
2015
EXffiBIT A
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Section Page No.
1. Purpose and Applicability 1
1.1 Purpose 1
1.2 Applicability 2
2. Submittal Requirements for New Landscape Installations or Landscape
Rehabilitation Projects 2
2.1 Landscape Documentation Package 2
2.2 Water Efficient Landscape Calculations and Alternatives 4
2.3 Soil and Stormwater Management Report 6
2.4 Landscape Design Plan 8
2.5 Irrigation Design Plan 12
2.6 Grading Design Plan 17
2.7 Certification of Completion ..18
2.8 Post-Installation Irrigation Scheduling 19
2.9 Post-Installation Landscape and Irrigation Maintenance 19
3. Provisions for Existing Landscapes 19
4. Public Education 20
Appendix A—Prescriptive Compliance Option A 1
Appendix A B —Certification of Landscape Design A 1
Appendix B C—Water Efficient Landscape Worksheet B 1
Appendix G D—Reference Evapotranspiration(ETo) Table C 1
Appendix D E—Installation Certificate of Completion D 1
Appendix E F - Definitions ..E 1
Appendix G: Irrigation Plan Checklist
Appendix H: Inspection Affidavit
i
1. Purpose and Applicability
1.1 Purpose
A. The primary purpose of these Guidelines is to provide procedural and design
guidance for project applicants proposing new landscape or landscape
rehabilitation projects that are subject to Chapter 13.08 Water Efficient Landscape
Ordinance of the City of Rosemead Municipal Code. This document is also
intended for use and reference by City staff in reviewing and approving designs and
verifying compliance with Chapter 13.08. The general purpose of the Water
Efficient Landscape Ordinance is to promote design, installation, and maintenance
of landscaping in a manner that conserves regional water resources by ensuring that
landscaping projects are not unduly water-needy and that irrigation systems are
appropriately designed and installed to minimize water waste.
B. Other regulations affecting landscape design and maintenance practices are
potentially applicable and should be consulted for additional requirements. These
regulations include but may not be limited to:
(1) State of California Assembly Bill 1881 (Laird, Water Conservation),
Chapter No. 559;
(2) National Pollutant Discharge Elimination Permit(s) for the Municipal
Separate Storm Sewer System;
(3) Los Angeles County Fire Code Regulations in Title 32 for fuel modification
in landscapes;
(4) Water Conservation, Water Supply Shortage, and Drought Response
Regulations of the Local Water Purveyor(s)and those contained in Sections
13.04.040 — 13.04.060 of Chapter 13.04 (Water Conservation) of the
Rosemead Municipal Code pertaining to Phase I, II, and III water shortage
regulations;
(5) Local and State Regulations governing use of Recycled Water;
(6) Rosemead Municipal Code;
(7) Zoning Code;
(8) Building Code;
(9) Specific Plans,Master Plans,General Plan, or similar land use and planning
documents; and
(10) Conditions of approval for a specific project.
1
1.2 Applicability
See Section 13.08.030 of Chapter 13.08 of the City of Rosemead Municipal Code.
2. Submittal Requirements for New Landscape Installations or Landscape Rehabilitation
Projects
A. Discretionary approval is typically required for landscape projects that are subject
to site plan reviews,or where a variance from a local building code is requested, or
other procedural processes apply such that standard or special conditions of
approval may be required by the City. Discretionary projects with conditions of
approval may be approved administratively by City staff, or acted on formally by
the Planning Commission,City Council,or other jurisdictional authority. A typical
standard condition of approval reads:
"Landscaping for the project shall be designed to comply with the City's
Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance and with the Guidelines for
Implementation of the Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance. "
Landscape or water features that typically require a ministerial permit (i.e., a
building, plumbing, electrical, or other similar permit), thereby triggering
compliance with the Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance requirements
independently of the need for discretionary approval include,but are not limited to,
swimming pools, fountains or ponds, retaining walls, and overhead trellises.
2.1 Landscape Documentation Package
A. A Landscape Documentation Package is required to be submitted by the project
applicant for review and approval prior to the issuance of ministerial permits and
prior to the start of construction. Unless otherwise directed by the City, the
Landscape Documentation Package must include the following elements either on
plan sheets or supplemental pages as directed by the City:
(1) Project Information, including, but not limited to,the following:
(a) Date;
(b) Project name;
(c) Project address, parcel, and/or lot number(s);
(d) Total landscaped area (square feet) and rehabilitated landscaped
area (if applicable);
(e) Project type (e.g., new, rehabilitated, public, private, cemetery,
homeowner-installed);
2
(f) Water supply type (e.g., potable, recycled, or well) and
identification of the local retail water purveyor if the project
applicant is not served by a private well;
(g) Checklist or index of all documents in the Landscape
Documentation Package;
(h) Project contacts, including contact information for the project
applicant and property owner;
(i) Certification of Landscape Design in accordance with Exhibit-A
Appendix B of these Guidelines that includes a landscape
professional's professional stamp, as applicable, signature, contact
information (including email and telephone number), license
number, and date, certifying the statement that "The design of this
project complies with the requirements of the City's Water Efficient
Landscape Ordinance"and shall bear the signature of the landscape
professional as required by law; and
(j) Any other information the City Manager or his or her designee
deems relevant for determining whether the landscape project
complies with the Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance and these
Guidelines.
(2) Maximum Applied Water Allowance (MA WA) and Estimated Applied Water
Use (EAWU) expressed as annual totals including, but not limited to, the
following:
(a) a-Water Efficient Landscape Worksheet for the landscape project;
(b) Water budget calculations for the landscape project; and
(c) Hydrozone information table for the landscape project.; and
(3) A soil management report or specifications, or specification provision
requiring soil testing and amendment recommendations and
implementation to be accomplished during construction of the landscape
project.
(4) A landscape design plan for the landscape project.
(5) An irrigation design plan for the landscape project.
(6) A grading design plan, unless grading information is included in the
landscape design plan for the landscape project or unless the landscape
project is limited to replacement planting and/or irrigation to rehabilitate an
existing landscaped area.
3
[Note: Authority Cited: Section 65595, Government Code. Reference:
Section 65596, Government Code.]
2.2 Water Efficient Landscape Calculations and Alternatives
A. The project applicant must provide the calculated Maximum Applied Water
Allowance (MAWA) and Estimated Applied Water Use (EAWU) for the landscaped
area as part of the Landscape Documentation Package submittal to the City. The
MAWA and EAWU shall be calculated based on completing the Water Efficient
Landscape Worksheets (in accordance with the sample worksheets in Appendix
BC) which contain information on the plant factor, irrigation method, irrigation
efficiency and area associated with each hydrozone. Calculations are then made to
show that the Evapotranspiration Adjustment Factor (ETAF) for the landscape
project does not exceed a factor of 0.55 for residential areas and 0.45 for non-
residential areas, exclusive of Special Landscape Areas. The ETAF for a landscape
project is based on the plant factors and irrigation methods selected. The Maximum •
Applied Water Allowance is calculated based on the maximum ETAF allowed(0.55
for residential areas and 0.45 for non-residential areas) and expressed as annual
gallons required. The EAWU is calculated based on the plants used and irrigation
method selected for the landscape design.
B. The EAWU allowable for the landscaped area may not exceed the MAWA. The
MAWA must be calculated using an evapotranspiration adjustment factor (ETAF)
of 0.7 .55 for residential areas and 0.45 for nonresidential areas, except for the
portion of the MAWA applicable to any special landscaped areas within the
landscape project, which must be calculated using an ETAF of 1.0. Where the
design of the landscaped area can otherwise be shown to be equivalently water-
efficient, the applicant may submit alternative or abbreviated information
supporting the demonstration that the annual EAWU is less than the MAWA,at the
discretion of and for the review and approval of the City.
C. Water budget calculations must adhere to the following requirements:
(1) The MAWA must be calculated using the Water Efficient Landscape
Worksheet and equation presented in Appendix B C on page C-1. The
example calculation on page B 2 is a hypothetical example to demonstrate
proper use of the equation.
(2) The EAWU must be calculated using the Water Efficient Landscape
Worksheet and equation presented in Appendix B C on page C-1. The
example calculation on page B 2 is a hypothetical example.
(3) For the calculation of the MAWA and EAWU, a project applicant must use
the ETo values from the closest location listed the Reference
Evapotranspiration Table in Appendix ED. For geographic areas not
covered in Appendix ED, data from other cities located nearby in the same
reference evapotranspiration zone may be used., as found in the CIMIS
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