Inglewood Municipal Code Art. 7 Water Conservation

It shall be unlawful for any person to violate the following restrictions concerning the use of water:

(a) With respect to irrigation practices:

(1) Except as provided below, lawn watering and landscape irrigation with potable water is permitted only as specified in Sections 10-208, 10-209 and 10-210.

(2) Irrigation with reclaimed water is permitted on any day in accordance with the water-efficient landscape criteria of Sections 5-111 through 5-118.

(Ord. 15-02 10-21-14)

The words used in this Article have the meaning set forth below:

"Anti-drain valve" or "check valve"

means a valve located under a sprinkler head to hold water in the system so it minimizes drainage from the lower elevation sprinkler heads.

"Application rate"

means the depth of water applied to a given area, usually measured in inches per hour.

"Applied water"

means the portion of water supplied by the irrigation system to the landscape.

"Automatic controller"

means the mechanical or solid state timer, capable of operating valve stations to set the days and length of time of a water application.

"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.

"Conversion factor (0.62)"

means a number that converts the maximum applied water allowance from acre-inches per acre per year to gallons per square foot per year. The conversion factor is calculated as follows:

"Director"

means the Community Development and Housing Director who is authorized to issue required water improvement or development permits.

"Ecological restoration project"

means a project where the site is intentionally altered to establish a defined, indigenous, historic ecosystem.

"Effective precipitation" or "usable rainfall"

means the portion of total precipitation that is used by the plants. Precipitation is not a reliable source of water, but can contribute to some degree toward the water needs of the landscape.

"Emitter"

means a drip irrigation fitting that delivers water slowly from the system to the soil.

"Established landscape"

means the point at which plants in the landscape have developed roots into the soil adjacent to the root ball.

"Establishment period"

means the first year after installing the plant in the landscape.

"Estimated Applied Water Use"

means the portion of the Estimated Total Water Use that is derived from applied water. The Estimated Applied Water Use shall not exceed the Maximum Applied Water Allowance. Estimated Applied Water Use may be the sum of the water used on system components recommended through the irrigation schedule, as referenced in Section 5-113.3.

"Estimated Total Water Use"

means the annual total amount of water estimated to be needed to keep the plants in the landscaped area healthy. It is based upon such factors as the local evapotranspiration rate, the size of the landscaped area, the types of plants, and the efficiency of the irrigation system.

"ET Adjustment Factor"

means a factor of 0.8 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.

"Evapotranspiration"

means the quantity of water evaporated from adjacent soil surfaces and transpired by plants during a specific time.

"Flow rate"

means the rate at which water flows through pipes and valves (gallons per minute or cubic feet per second).

"Hydrozone"

means a portion of the landscaped area having plants with similar water needs that are served by a valve or set of valves with the same schedule. A hydrozone may be irrigated or nonirrigated. For example, a naturalized area planted with native vegetation that will not need supplemental irrigation once established is a nonirrigated hydrozone. A hydropalette is a term applied to a selection of plants used with a hydrozone.

"Infiltration rate"

means the rate of water entry into the soil expressed as a depth of water per unit of time (inches per hour).

"Irrigation efficiency"

means the measurement of the amount of water beneficially used divided by the amount of water applied. Irrigation efficiency is derived from measurements and estimates of irrigation system characteristics and management practices. The minimum irrigation efficiency for purposes of this Article is 0.625. Greater irrigation efficiency can be expected from well designed and maintained systems.

"Landscape irrigation audit"

means a process to perform site inspections, evaluate irrigation systems, and develop efficient irrigation schedules.

"Landscaped area"

means the entire parcel less the building footprint, driveways, nonirrigated portions or parking lots, hardscapes such as decks and patios, and other nonporous areas. Water features are included in the calculation of the landscaped area. Areas dedicated to edible plants, such as orchards or vegetable gardens are not included.

"Lateral line"

means the water delivery pipeline that supplies water to the emitters or sprinklers from the valve.

"Main line"

means the pressurized pipeline that delivers water from the water source to the valve or outlet.

"Maximum Applied Water Allowance"

means, for design purposes, the upper limit of annual applied water for the established landscaped area as specified in Section 5-113.3. 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 Maximum Applied Water Allowance.

"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.

"Mulch"

means any material such as leaves, bark, straw or other materials left loose and applied to the soil surface to reduce evaporation.

"Operating pressure"

means the pressure at which a system of sprinklers is designed to operate, usually indicated at the base of a sprinkler.

"Overspray"

means the water which is delivered beyond the landscaped area, wetting pavements, walks, structures, or other nonlandscaped areas.

"Plant factor"

means a factor that when multiplied by reference evapotranspiration, estimates the amount of water used by plants. For purposes of this Article, the average plant factor of low water using plants ranges from 0 to 0.3; for average water using plants, the range is 0.4 to 0.6; and for high water using plants it is 0.7 to 1.0.

"Rain sensing device"

means a system which automatically shuts off the irrigation system when it rains.

"Record drawing" or "as-builts"

means a set of reproducible drawings which show significant changes in the work made during construction and which are usually based on drawings marked up in the field and other data furnished by the contractor.

"Recreational area"

means an area of active play or recreation such as sports field, schoolyard, picnic grounds or other areas with intense foot traffic.

"Recycled water," "reclaimed water" or "treated sewage effluent water"

means treated or recycled waste water of a quality suitable for nonpotable uses such as landscape irrigation and not intended for human consumption.

"Reference evapotranspiration" or "ETo"

means a standard measure of environmental parameters which affect the water use of plants. ETo is given in inches per day, month or year. ETo 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 Allowance so that regional differences in climate can be accommodated.

"Rehabilitated landscape"

means any relandscaping project that requires a permit.

"Run-off"

means water which is not absorbed by the soil or landscape to which it is applied, and flows from the area. For example, run-off may result from water that is applied at too great a rate (application rate exceeds infiltration rate) or when there is a severe slope.

"Soil moisture sensing device"

means a device that measures the amount of water in the soil.

"Soil texture"

means the classification of soil based on the percentage of sand, silt and clay in the soil.

"Sprinkler head"

means a device which sprays 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 operation simultaneously.

"Turf"

means a surface layer of earth containing mowed grass with its roots. Annual bluegrass, Kentucky bluegrass, Perennial ryegrass, Red fescue and Tall fescue are cool season grasses. Bermudagrass, Kikuyugrass, Seashore paspalum, St. Augustine grass, Zoysia grass and Buffalo grass are warm season grasses.

"Valve"

means a device used to control the flow of water in the irrigation system.

"Water conservation concept statement"

means a one-page checklist and a narrative summary of the project. A sample shall be referenced in the Design Guidelines of Chapter 12.

(Ord. 91-6 3-5-91; Ord. 93-20 7-20-93; Ord. 96-21 9-24-96)

Decorative water features such as pools, ponds and waterfalls used in landscaped areas shall incorporate recycling of water, and shall be designed and operated to minimize water loss.

(Ord. 93-20 7-20-93)

Each landscape irrigation system shall be metered for water use, separately from domestic and other nonlandscape uses except for single-family homes or any project with a landscaped area of less that five thousand square feet.

(Ord. 93-20 7-20-93)