South El Monte Municipal Code Ch. 15.20 Maintaining Existing Water-Efficient Landscapes

All existing landscaped areas within the city in which water is provided to irrigate, including golf courses, green belts, common areas, multifamily housing, schools, businesses, cemeteries, parks and publicly owned landscapes, are encouraged to have a landscape irrigation audit at least once every five years.

(Ord. 922 §3, 1993; Ord. 1192 §1, 2015)

No person shall waste water through inefficient and inappropriate landscape irrigation by allowing runoff, low-head drainage, overspray or other similar conditions where water flows onto adjacent areas not part of the irrigated area such as adjacent property, nonirrigated areas, walks, roadways or structures.

(Ord. 922 §3, 1993; Ord. 1192 §1, 2015)

All water purveyors shall be provided the site address and landscape irrigation audit schedules, water conservation concept statements and certificates of substantial conformance for all landscaped areas within their service area which are subject to the audit requirements of Section 15.20.040.

(Ord. 922 §3, 1993; Ord. 1192 §1, 2015)

A. All water purveyors shall provide the building official records of irrigation water consumption for the previous twelve months at each site subject to an audit under the provisions of Building Code, Chapter 71. All property owners with sites subject to a water audit whose water source is not a water purveyor shall provide the building official records of irrigation water consumption for the previous twelve months.

B. For each site subject to an audit where the site's water consumption is less than or equal to the maximum applied water allowance for that project site, as defined in Building Code, Chapter 71, an audit shall not be required.

C.

1. For each site subject to an audit where the site's water consumption is greater than the maximum applied water allowance for that project site, a detailed audit shall be performed to determine the cause of excessive water use. The property owner shall be responsible for having this audit prepared by a qualified person licensed or registered to prepare such work under the Business and Professions Code. Such audit shall be in accordance with the latest California Landscape Water Management Program as described in the latest edition of the Landscape Irrigation Auditor Handbook, which entire document is incorporated into this Code by reference in Section 7105(i)(1), and shall contain a landscape documentation package as required in Building Code Section 7104(b), utilizing information supplied in accordance with subsection A.

2. The audit shall contain recommendations for reducing water consumption to within the maximum applied water allowance for that project site and an estimated date established by the property owner for the implementation of those recommendations. Such recommendations may include replacing the irrigation system with a more efficient system, rehabilitating the landscaping in accordance with the provisions of Building Code, Chapter 71 or improving maintenance procedures defined in the Landscaping Documentation Package. The audit shall be submitted to the building official for compliance verification.

D. If the site's water consumption is greater than the maximum applied water allowance for that project site one year after the completion of the first audit, another water audit shall be performed in accordance with the provisions of subsection C. In such a case, the building official may record a notice with the county recorder's office that the property is in violation of the South El Monte Municipal Code. The remedy provided by this recordation is cumulative to any other enforcement actions permitted in the South El Monte Municipal Code.

(Ord. 922 §3, 1993; Ord. 1192 §1, 2015)

All sites subject to an audit pursuant to Section 15.20.040 shall be assessed on their property tax bill an amount as established by resolution of the city council per metering point per year for each meter that provides water for that site's irrigation. Such assessment shall be made available to the building official for enforcing this chapter.

(Ord. 922 §3, 1993; Ord. 1192 §1, 2015)

The water purveyor may recover from the customer the cost for providing water consumption records to the building official as required by Section 15.20.040.

(Ord. 922 §3, 1993; Ord. 1192 §1, 2015)

Violations of this chapter shall be punishable as infractions as specified in Section 1.16.010 of the South El Monte Municipal Code.

(Ord. 922 §3, 1993; Ord. 1192 §1, 2015)