Rolling Hills Municipal Code Ch. 13.18 Water Efficient Landscape

Footnotes:

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Editor's note— Section 3 of Ord. No. 361, adopted May 13, 2019, amended Ch. 13.18 in its entirety to read as herein set out. Former Ch. 13.18, §§ 13.18.010—13.18.070, pertained to similar subject matter, and derived from Ord. No. 316, § 3, adopted Jan. 25, 2010.

It is the policy of the City of Rolling Hills to promote water conservation. The landscape water conservation standards detailed in this chapter are intended to promote water conservation while allowing the maximum possible flexibility in designing healthy, attractive, and cost-effective water efficient landscapes.

(Ord. No. 361, § 3, 5-13-2019)

This chapter applies to:

A. All public agency development projects which are subject to discretionary review by the City and propose an aggregate landscape area of one thousand square feet or more; and

B. Any single family residential development projects with an aggregate landscape area equal to or greater than five hundred square feet requiring discretionary review by the City; and

C. Any single family residential development projects with an aggregate landscape area equal to or greater than two thousand five hundred square feet requiring administrative review by the City.

(Ord. No. 361, § 3, 5-13-2019)

[The following words, terms and phrases, when used in this chapter, shall have the meanings ascribed to them in this section, except where the context clearly indicates a different meaning:]

"Administrative review" means review of a development project requiring review and approval of the City Manager or designee of an application for a building permit or zone clearance permit.

"Application rate" means the rate of irrigation (inches/hour or gallons per minute) at which water is applied by an irrigation system.

"Automatic irrigation system" means an irrigation system that can be controlled without manual manipulation and which operates on a preset program.

"Discretionary review" means review of a development project by the Planning Commission and/or City Council that requires that the Planning Commission or City Council ascertain compliance with this chapter, and that also requires the exercise of judgment, deliberation or decision by the Planning Commission and/or City Council.

"Evapotranspiration" or "ET" means the approximate summation of water losses through evaporation from soil and transpiration from the plants during a specified period of time.

"ETo" or "reference evapotranspiration" means the approximation of water loss expressed in inches per year from a field of four- to seven-inch-tall cool season grass that is not water stressed.

"ET adjustment factor" or "ETAF" means a factor used to set an efficiency goal, that when applied to ETo adjusts for plant factor and irrigation efficiency, two of the major influences upon the amount of water that needs to be applied to a landscape.

"Graywater" means 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 unhealthful 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. Health and Safety Code Section 17922.12.

"Hydrozone" means a portion of the planting area having plants grouped according to water need.

"Irrigation system" means a complete connection of system components, including the water distribution network and the necessary irrigation equipment and downstream from the backflow prevention device.

"Landscape area" means all areas where landscaping is proposed as part of a development proposal.

"Landscape architect" means a person who holds a license to practice landscape architecture in the state of California Business and Professions Code, Section 5615.

"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 documents required as part of development projects identified in Section 13.18.020, including the landscape design plan, irrigation design plan, grading design plan, irrigation schedule, and soil management report.

"Landscape plan" means design plans with a planting plan and irrigation plan, and plans with supporting detail sheets to include notes and/or specifications.

"Development" means any construction requiring a building permit or zone clearance permit, a new building on a vacant site, an addition to an existing building on a site, a new building on a developed site, or a change in land use type that requires a discretionary permit from the City.

"Plant factor" means a factor that when multiplied by the ETo, estimates the amount of water used by a given plant species.

"Planting area" means the parcel area less building pad(s), driveway(s), patio(s), deck(s), walkway(s) and parking area(s). Planting area includes water bodies (i.e., fountains, ponds, lakes) and natural areas.

"Special landscape area (SLA)" means park and recreational areas permanently and solely dedicated to edible plants such as orchards and vegetable gardens, and areas irrigated with recycled water are subject to the MAWA with an ET adjustment factor not to exceed 1.0.

"Turf" means a groundcover surface of mowed grass with an irrigation water need of greater than thirty percent of the ETo.

"Water budget calculation" means the Maximum Annual Applied Water Allowance, which shall be calculated using the following formula, per Section 492.4 of the State of California Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance, which may be amended from time to time:

Residential: MAWA = (ETo) (0.62) [0.55 x LA + 0.45 x SLA]

Institutional: MAWA = (ETo) (0.62) [0.45 x LA + 0.55 x SLA]

"Water wise plants" means those plants that are evaluated as needing "moderate" (40-60% of ETo), "low" (10-30% of ETo) and "very low" (< 10% of ETo) amounts of water as defined and listed by Water Use Classifications of Landscape Species (WUCOLS) available from the State of California Department of Water Resources. Other sources of water wise plant classifications may be used if approved by the City Manager.

"Weather based irrigation controller" means an irrigation controller that automatically adjusts the irrigation schedule based on changes in the weather.

(Ord. No. 361, § 3, 5-13-2019)

An applicant proposing landscaping, which is subject to the requirements of this chapter, shall submit the documents required by the landscape documentation package in accordance with the requirements of this chapter and a deposit of one thousand five hundred dollars to cover City staff application processing fees at a rate of one hundred twenty dollars per hour. Should processing the application exceed the initial deposit, the City may request additional deposits as necessary to reimburse the City its actual costs incurred in processing the application. Should the deposit exceed the total cost of processing, the applicant will be refunded the difference. Applicant shall additionally submit a performance security deposit of five thousand dollars to be refunded upon verification by the City Manager, or his or her designee, of applicant's Certificate of Completion.

(Ord. No. 361, § 3, 5-13-2019)

An applicant proposing landscaping, which is subject to the requirements of this chapter, shall comply with each of the following in the design, installation, and maintenance of the landscaped area, unless an exception is granted pursuant to Section 13.18.050.

A. Landscape Plan Content:

1. Applicants shall submit a landscape plan depicting the landscaped area and all existing landscaping to remain on the lot. Landscaping shall be designed to be irrigated at no more than the reference evapotranspiration (ETo) and shall not exceed the MAWA. The City reserves the right to modify plans in quantity and quality of the landscape to meet the requirements of this chapter.

2. Applicants shall provide all relevant information on the landscape plan including botanical names for plants and turf species; container sizes; percentage calculations of allowable areas of turf; low, medium or high water use plants and water-wise plants; water budget calculations; applicable graywater discharge piping, system components, and areas of distribution; any necessary soil management report; and specific requests for any exceptions to the requirements of this chapter in accordance with Section 13.18.050. Areas of existing landscaping to remain unaltered shall be indicated on the landscape plan.

B. Use of Compost, Water Wise Plants, and Turf:

1. The landscape area of a single family residential or institutional use project shall incorporate compost at a rate of at least four cubic yards per one thousand square feet to a depth of six inches into landscape area (unless contra-indicated by a soil test).

2. The landscape area of a single family residential use project shall be designed with water wise plants that require occasional, little or no summer water (average WUCOLS plant factor 0.3) for seventy-five percent of the plant area excluding edibles and areas using recycled water. The landscape area of a institutional use project shall be designed with water wise plants that require occasional, little or no summer water (average WUCOLS plant factor 0.3) for one hundred percent of the plant area excluding edibles and areas using recycled water;

3. The landscape area of a single family residential use project shall be designed with no more than twenty-five percent of the landscape area in turf. The landscape area of an institutional use project shall be designed with no turf.

4. Turf shall not be used on a slope that exceeds one foot vertical elevation change for every four feet of horizontal length.

5. Additional turf areas may be approved by the City for areas designed and used for outdoor sporting and recreational activities. Approved turf areas may be watered at 1.0 of the referenced evapotranspiration (ETo).

C. Mulch: The landscape area, except those portions of the landscape area planted in turf, creeping or rooting groundcovers, or direct seeding applications where mulch is contraindicated, shall be covered with mulch material to a minimum thickness of at least three inches throughout. In areas with groundcover planted from flats, mulch shall be installed to an average thickness of one and one-half inches. Additional mulch material shall be added from time to time as necessary in order to maintain the required depth of mulch.

D. Graywater Systems: All graywater systems shall conform to the City's Plumbing Code adopted in Chapter 15.08 of the RHMC.

E. Soil Management Report:

1. Applicant shall submit soil samples to a laboratory for analysis of soil texture, infiltration rate, pH, total soluble salts, sodium, percent organic matter and for recommendations in accordance with laboratory protocol, including protocols regarding adequate sampling depth for the intended plants and at a sampling rate equivalent to approximately fifteen percent of the development.

2. A soil management report shall be submitted as follows:

i. If grading requiring Site Plan Review pursuant to RHMC Section 17.46.020(A)(1) is not planned, the soil analysis report shall be submitted to the City as part of the landscape plan; or

ii. If grading requiring Site Plan Review pursuant to RHMC Section 17.46.020(A)(1) is planned, the soil analysis report shall be submitted to the City as part of the certificate of compliance with documentation verifying implementation of soil report recommendations.

(Ord. No. 361, § 3, 5-13-2019)

A. Irrigation Plan. All irrigation systems proposed as part of a development shall identify water supply and incorporate the following requirements in their design, installation and maintenance:

1. Irrigation systems shall be designed and installed to avoid overspray and runoff. Valves shall be separated for individual hydrozones based on plant water needs and sun or shade requirements.

2. An automatic irrigation system is required and shall include a weather-based irrigation controller, including a rain shut-off sensor.

3. 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.

4. Irrigation controllers shall be of a type that do not lose programming data in the event the primary power source is interrupted.

5. Areas less than ten feet wide shall be irrigated with appropriately selected equipment that provides the proper amount of water coverage without causing runoff or overspray onto adjacent surfaces.

6. All sprinklers shall have matched precipitation rates within each valve and circuit. All irrigation systems shall be designed to include optimum distribution uniformity, head to head spacing, and setbacks from walkways and pavement.

7. All irrigation systems shall provide check valves at the low end of irrigation lines to prevent unwanted draining of irrigation lines.

8. Pressure regulators shall be installed on the irrigation system to ensure the dynamic pressure of the system is within the manufacturers recommended pressure range.

9. Flow sensors that detect and report high flow conditions shall be installed for landscaped areas greater than five thousand square feet.

10. All irrigation emission devices must meet the requirements set in the ANSI standard, ASABE/ICC 802-2014. "Landscape Irrigation Sprinkler and Emitter Standard," All sprinkler heads installed in the landscape must document a distribution uniformity low quarter of 0.65 or higher using the protocol defined in ASABE/ICC 802-2014.

11. Recirculating water shall be used for water features as defined in RHMC Section 17.12.230.

12. For institutional projects with landscape areas of one thousand square feet or more, a private submeter to measure landscape water use shall be installed.

B. Irrigation Schedule.

1. Irrigation schedules shall be developed, managed, and evaluated to utilize the minimum amount of water required to maintain plant health.

2. Irrigation schedules shall meet the following criteria:

i. Actual irrigation schedules shall be regulated by automatic irrigation controllers using current reference evapotranspiration data (e.g., CIMIS) or soil moisture sensor data.

ii. Parameters used to set the automatic controller shall be developed and submitted for each of the following:

a. The plant establishment period;

b. The established landscape; and

c. Temporarily irrigated areas.

iii. Each irrigation schedule shall consider all of the following that apply:

a. Irrigation interval (days between irrigation);

b. Irrigation run times (hours or minutes per irrigation event to avoid runoff);

c. Number of cycle starts required for each irrigation event to avoid runoff;

d. Amount of applied water scheduled to be applied on a monthly basis for each area served by one valve or by a set of valves that operate simultaneously;

e. Application rate setting;

f. Root depth setting;

g. Plant type setting;

h. Soil type;

i. Slope factor setting;

j. Shade factor setting; and

k. Irrigation uniformity or efficiency setting.

iv. Overhead irrigation shall be scheduled between 8:00 p.m. and 10:00 a.m. unless weather conditions prevent it. If allowable hours of irrigation differ from the local water purveyor, the stricter of the two shall apply. Operation of the irrigation system outside the normal watering window is allowed for auditing and system maintenance.

3. For implementation of the irrigation schedule, particular attention must be paid to irrigation run times, emission device, flow rate, and current reference evapotranspiration, so that applied water meets the Estimated Total Water Use. Total annual applied water shall be less than or equal to MAWA.

(Ord. No. 361, § 3, 5-13-2019)

A. A grading plan shall be submitted as part of the landscape plan and must include the 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. Stormwater retention improvements, if applicable.

B. Project applicants are encouraged to prepare a grading plan that does the following:

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 landscape areas.

C. The grading design plan shall contain the following statement: "I have complied with the criteria of the ordinance and applied them accordingly for the efficient use of water in the grading design plan" and shall bear the signature of a licensed professional as authorized by law.

(Ord. No. 361, § 3, 5-13-2019)

Exceptions to these landscape water conservation standards may be granted by the City Manager upon a finding, based on substantial evidence, that the exceptions will promote equivalent or greater water conservation than is provided for in these standards. Requests for exceptions shall be in writing and shall be submitted to the City Manager at the time the application is submitted to the City for review. Requests for exceptions must be accompanied by documentary evidence supporting the finding of equivalent or greater water conservation.

(Ord. No. 361, § 3, 5-13-2019)

A. The landscape design plan shall bear the signature of a licensed landscape architect, licensed landscape contractor, or any other person authorized to design landscape. The irrigation plan and schedule shall bear the signature of a licensed landscape architect, licensed landscape contractor, or any other person authorized to design an irrigation system. The grading design plan shall contain the following statement: "I have complied with the criteria of the ordinance and applied them accordingly for the efficiency use of water in the grading design plan" and shall bear the signature of a licensed professional as authorized by law.

B. The landscape documentation package consisting of the landscape plan, irrigation plan and schedule, grading plan, and any necessary soil management report shall include a "Statement of Compliance" in a form approved by the City Manager certifying that the design complies with the mandatory elements of this chapter. The Statement of Compliance shall be signed by the person who prepared the landscape plan, irrigation plan and schedule, and grading plan and shall be submitted to the City prior to or concurrent with submitting final development plans to the Building and Safety Department.

C. The Planning Commission or City Council may require, on a case-by-case basis, that the landscaping plan, irrigation plan and schedule, grading plan, any necessary soil management report, and Statement of Compliance be submitted concurrently with the development application or prior to rendering a decision for the development.

A. The person who prepared the landscape plan irrigation plan and schedule, grading plan, and any necessary soil management report shall inspect the installation and shall certify in writing to the City Manager that the installation substantially conforms to the approved plans through a Certificate of Completion. The Certificate of Completion shall be submitted prior to final inspection from the Building and Safety Department. The applicant is eligible for a one-time extension in submitting the Certificate of Completion up to one hundred twenty days, based on findings of good cause as reasonably determined by the City Manager or his or her designee.

B. Verification of the Certificate of Completion and compliance with this chapter, as applicable, shall be made by the City Manager. Upon such verification, the City Manager shall cause the deposit, as required pursuant to RHMC Section 13.18.035, to be refunded to the applicant. Should the City Manager determine that the installation does not substantially conform to the approved plans or that the applicant is not in compliance with this chapter, the City Manager shall withhold the deposit until applicant fully complies with this chapter.

(Ord. No. 361, § 3, 5-13-2019)