HomeMy Public PortalAbout13) 8B Ordinance 16-1016 Amendment of TCMC for the Water Effiecient Landscape Ordinance - Copy - CopyAGENDA
ITEM 8 .8.
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT
MEMORANDUM
DATE : April19 , 20 16
TO: Th e Hon o rabl e City Council
FROM : Bryan Cook, City Manager
By : Mi c hae l D. Forbes, Community Development Director ~
Hesty Liu , Associate Planner .....,
SUBJECT: INTRODUCTION AND FIRST READING FOR ORDINANCE NO. 16-1013
AMENDING THE TEMPLE CITY MUNICIPAL CODE FOR THE WATER
EFFICIENT LANDSCAPE ORDINANCE (WELO)
RECOMMENDATION:
Th e City Counci l is requested to :
1. Introduce , for first reading by title only , Ordinance No . 16 -1013 (Attachment "A ")
amending Chapter 1 (Zoning code) of Titl e 9 (Zo ning Regulation) of the T emple
City M un icipa l Code (TCMC) to establish a Water Effic ient Landscape Ordinance ;
2. Adopt the Guidelines fo r the Water Efficient Lands cape Ordinance (Attachment
"B"); and
3. Schedule the seco nd reading of Ordinance No . 16 -101 3 for May 3 , 20 16 .
BACKGROUND :
1. In 2006 , the State passed AB 1881 , known as the Water ConseNation in
Lands capi ng Act of 2006 , which re quires that a local agency adopt a WELO by
January 1, 2010 , or institute the State Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance
(MWELO) by default.
2 . On February 11, 2010 , c ity staff se nt a letter to the Department of Water Resource
indi cati ng that th e C ity would institute the State MWELO while maintaining th e
intention of deve loping a local WELO at a later t im e .
City Council
April 19 , 2016
Page 2 of 4
3. On April 1 , 2015 , Governor Brown issued the Drought Executive Order directing
the Department of Water Resources to update its 2009 MWELO to help the State
with the growing water crisis .
4 . On April 28, 2015, staff presented the draft Temple City WELO to the Planning
Commission . The draft WELO was developed based on AB 1881 . After the
Planning Commission meeting, staff suspended the processing of the WELO due
to the Governor's Executi ve Order and to await the update to the State MWELO so
that it could be incorporated into the WELO.
5 . On July 15, 2015 , the California Water Commission approved the updated State
MWELO . A local agency was required to revise or adopt a local WELO by
December 1 , 2015 . Or, a local agency could comply with the updated State
MWELO , if no action was taken .
6 . In October of 2015 , the WELO subcommittee of the San Gabriel V alley Council of
Government's (COG) Planners Technical Advisory Committee released a regiona l
WELO template . The subcommittee was tasked with developing a regional
template for member cities with the goal of increasing effici encies across the San
Gabriel Valley and look ing at best practices throughout the region .
7 . On January 26 , 2016 , staff presented to the Plan ning Commission the Temple City
WELO and Guidelines based on the COG 's template . After hearing the staff report
(Attachment "C"), the Planning Commission opened the public hearing and voted
unan im ously to recommend that the City Counci l adopt the WELO and the
Gu idel ines .
8 . On February 9, 2016 , the City Council Water Ad Hoc Committee reviewed the
T e mple City WELO and Guidel in es . Th e Ad Hoc Committee did not recommend
any cha nges and directed staff to proceed to the City Council.
9. On April 5 , 2016, the City Council continued the introduction and the first reading
for Ordinance No . 16-1013 to April19 , 2016 .
ANALYSIS:
Adopting a WELO is a State statutory requiremen t. A juris diction can adopt the State
MWELO or deve lop its own version . Any c hanges to the State MWELO must be "at
least as effective " as the State MWELO . The proposed WELO is based on the COG 's
template which differs from the State MWELO in the fol lowing ways :
City Council
April19 , 2016
Page 3 of 4
• Instead of including detailed calculations and factors (such as the
evapotranspiration adjustment factor) in the Ordinance , these components are
placed in the WELO Guidelines . From t ime to time as the State makes further
refinements to the MWELO , staff will be able to administratively modify the
Guidelines . The Guidelines require staff to notify the Planning Commission
regarding changes to the Guidelines ;
• An allowance for landscape architects to self-certify that a plan meets the WELO
and that the install ation of the landscapi ng meets the approved plans . This will
reduce project expenses by limiting the need for landscape and irrigation plans to
go through a separate landscape plan check procedure ;
• An Irrigation Audit would become an optional requirement; and
• For existing landscape projects that will be rehab ilitated with lowe r water use
plants, a landscape documentation package would be optional , not required .
The above distinctions will not comp rom ise the effectiveness of the proposed WELO ,
and will be at least as effective as the State MWELO (a detailed explanation regarding
effectiveness can be found i n Attachment "C", the Planning Commission Staff Report).
The essential goal of the MWELO is to promote water conservation . In light of such a
goal , the c hanges made by the COG subcommittee will provide an ordinance with
enhanced clarity , streamline the review and approval process , enable the quality of the
projects to be controlled by industry standards and lands caping professionals , and
encourage the existing landscapes to be converted to low water use through exempting
the requirement of provid ing the Land scape Documentation Pa ckage for small projects .
The proposed ordinance , if adopted , will meet the "effectiveness " criterion of the State
and be consistent with the regulatio ns of many neighboring jurisdictions in the San
Gabriel Valley .
Findings
TCMC Section 9-1 G-0 provides that the Zoning Code may be "amended whenever the
public interest and necess ity so requ ire ." There are no specific findings requ ired to
amend the Zoning Code or other titles of the Municipal Code . The proposed Ordinance
is co ns istent with the existing and proposed General Plan .
City Council
April19 , 2016
Page 4 of 4
Environmental Review
The proposed ordinance is exempt from environmental review under the California
Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Section 15307 of the CEQA Guidelines
because it is an action of "regulatory agencies for protection of natural resources ".
CITY STRATEGIC GOALS:
Adopting the proposed ordinance would further the City Strategic Goals of Sustainable
Infrastructure .
FISCAL IMPACT:
The proposed ordinance would have no impact on the Fiscal Year 2016-17 City Budget.
ATTACHMENTS:
A. Ordinance No. 16-10 13
B. Temple City Water Efficient Ordinance Guidelines
C . Planning Commission Staff Report and Resolution
CITY OF TEMPLE CITY
ORDINANCE NO . 16-10 13
Attachment A
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF TEMPLE CITY
AMENDING CHAPTER 1 (ZONING CODE) OF TITLE 9 (ZONING REGULATIONS) OF
THE TEMPLE CITY MUNICIPAL CODE TO ESTABLISH THE CITY'S WATER
EFFICIENT LANDSCAPE ORDINANCE
WHEREAS , Artic le X , Section 2 of the California Constitution specifies that the right to
use wa ter is limited to the amoun t reasonab ly required for the benef icial use to be served , and the right
does not and shall not extend to waste or unreasonable method of use of water.
WHEREAS , the waters of the State are of limited supply and are subject to every
increasi ng demands; an d
WHEREAS , the cont inuation of Ca lifornia 's econom ic prosperity is dependent on the
availab ility of adequate supplies of water fo r future uses ; and
WHEREAS , the State Legis latu re made findings in AB 1881 , chapte red in 2006 , related
to water use , waste , conservat ion and efficiency ; and
WHEREAS, pursuant to AB 1881 , the Cal ifornia Department of Water Resources (DWR)
developed a State 's Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance ; and
WHEREAS , Governor Brown 's Drought Executive Order of April 1, 2015 (EO B-29-15 )
directed DWR to updat e the State 's Model Water Effic ient Landscape Ordinance (Ord inance) through
expedited regu lation . The Ca lifornia Water Commission approved the rev ised Ordinance on Ju ly 15 ,
2015 ;and
WHEREAS , The Executive Order (EO B-29-15) requires that Local agencies (cities and
counties), by December 1, 2015 , adopt the Model Ord inance or adopt their own ordinance wh ich must be
at least as effective in co nserving water as the State 's Ord inance . If a local agency does not take action
by the specified date, the State 's Ord inance becomes effective by defau lt.
WHEREAS , the City of Temple City intends to amend its Zoning Code to establish the
City 's Water Effic ient Landscape Ord inance , which would be "at least as effective as" the 2015 updated
State 's Model Water Efficient La ndscape Ordi nance.
THE C ITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY O F TEM PLE CITY HEREBY ORDAINS AS FOLLOWS :
SECTION 1. Based upon information presented in the staff reports , and based upon the public
input before and during the noticed public hearing , Chap ter 1 (Zon ing Code) of Title 9 (Zoni ng
Regulations ) of the Temple City Municipal Code is amended .
SECTION 2. T he City Council hereby determines that the Ordinance is exempt from review under
the Ca li forn ia En v ironmental Quali ty Act ("CEQA") (Cal iforn ia Pub li c Resources Code Section 21000 et
seq .), because pursuant to State C EQA Re gulation 15307 (14 Ca l. Code Regs .,§ 15307). The Ord inance
is covered by the CEQA Categorica l Ex emption for act ions taken to assure the maintenance, restoratio n,
enhancement, or protection of a natural resource where the regulatory process involves procedures for
protect ion of the environment. The adoption of th is Ordinance will result in the enhancement and
pr ote ct ion of water resources in the City, and will not r esu lt in cumulative adverse env ironment impacts. It
is therefore exempt from the prov is ions of CEQA.
SECTION 3. T he Municipal Code shall be am en ded by adding Artic le X to Cha pter 1 of T itle 9 of
the Mun ic ipal Code which shall read as follows :
Ord inance 16-1013
Water Effi cient La ndscape Ord in an ce
Page 2 of 7
ARTICLE X. TEMPLE CITY WATER EFFICIENT LANDSCAPE ORDINANCE
9 -1X-O : Purpose
The purpose of the C ity's Water Efficient Lands ca pe Ordinance is to establish an a ltern ative
model acceptab le under Governor Brown 's Apr il 1, 2015 Drought Executive Order (B-19 -25 ) as
be in g at least as effect ive as the State Mode l Water Effici ent Landscape Ord inance i n the context
of conditions in the C ity in order to :
Promote the benefits of consistent landscape ordinances w ith neighboring local an d
regio na l agen cies ;
Promote the va lues and benefits of landscapes while recognizing the need to invest
water and other resources as efficient ly as poss ible ;
Establ ish a stru cture for planning , design i ng , install i ng , and maintaining and manag in g
w ater efficien t landscapes in new construction and rehab ilitated projects ;
Estab li sh prov isions for water management practices and water was te prevention for
exi sting landscapes ;
Use wate r efficiently w it ho ut waste by sett ing a Ma xi mum Applied Water Allowance as an
upper limit for water use and reduce water use to the lowe st pra ctic al amount; and
Encou rage the use of economic incentives that promote the efficient use of water, such
as implementing a budget-based tiered-rate structure , providing rebate incentives and
offering educa tional programs .
[Note : Author ity cite d: Section 65593 , Government Code . Refe rence : Sections 65591,
65593 , 65596 , Government Code .]
9-1 X-1 : App li cab ility
New landscape projects with an aggregate landscape area equal to or greater than 500
square feet , requ iring a building or landscape permit, pla n check or design rev iew;
Rehabilitated landscape projects with an aggregate landscaped area equal to or greater
than 2,500 square feet, req ui r ing a bui ld ing or landscape perm it, plan check or design
review ;
New or rehabilitated la ndscape projects with an aggregate landscape area of 2,500
square feet or less m ay comply w ith the perfo rmance requ irements of this ordin an ce or
conform to the prescript ive mea sures contained in Append ix A of the Guidelines;
New or rehab ilitated proj ects us ing treated or untreated graywater or rainwater capture on
site , any lot or parce ls withi n the project that has less than 2,500 square feet of landscape
area and meets the lot or parcel 's landscape wate r req uirement (Estimated Total Water
Use ) entirely w ith the treated or untreated graywater or though stored rainwater capture on
s ite is subject only to Appendix A of the Guidelines.
This Water Efficient Lands cape Ordinance does not apply to :
Ordinance 16-1013
Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance
Page 3 of 7
Registered local , state , or federal historical s ites ;
Ecologica l restoration projects that do not require a permanent irrigation system ;
Mined-land reclamation projects that do not require a permanent irriga tion system ; or
Plant co lle ctions , as part of botanical gardens and arboretums open to the public.
[Note : Authority Cited: Section 65595, Government Code . Reference: Section 65596,
Government Code.]
9-1X-2 : Landscape Water Use Standards
For applicable landscape installation or rehabilitation projects subject to Section 9-1X-1 of this
Water Effic ient Land scape Ord inance , the Estimated Total Water Use allowed for the landscaped
area shall not exceed the MAWA calculated using an ET adjustment factor of 0.55 for residential
areas and 0.45 for non-residential areas , except for specia l landscaped areas where the MAWA
is ca lculated using an ET adjustment factor of 1.0; or the design of the landscaped area shall
otherwise be shown to be equ ivalently water-efficient in a manner acceptable to the City; as
provided in the Guidelines .
Irrigation of all landscaped areas shall be conducted in a manner conforming to the rules and
requ irements , and shall be subject to penalties and incentives for water conservat ion and water
waste preventio n as determined and implemented by the local water purveyor or as mutually
agreed by local water purveyor and the local agency.
9-1 X -3 : Implementation
Prior to installat ion , a Landscape Documentation Package shall be submitted to the City for
rev iew and approval of all landscape projects subject to the provis ions of this Water Efficient
Landscape Ordinance. Any Landscape Documentation Package submitted to the City shall
comply with the specifications of the Guidelines.
The Landscape Documentation Package sha ll include a cert ificat ion by a professional
appropriately lice nsed in the State of California stating that the landscape design and water use
calculations have been prepared by or under the supervision of the licensed professional and are
certified to be in compl iance with the provisions of th is Water Efficient Landscape Ord inance and
the Guidelines . The followi ng shall be the minimum requirements :
Landscape and irrigation plans shall be submitted to the City for review and approval with
appropriate water use calcu lat ions .
Verification of compl iance of the landscape installation with the approved plans shall be
obta ined through a Cert ification of Completion in con j unction with a Cert ificate of Use and
Occupancy or Perm it Final process, as provided in the Guidelines .
[Note : Authority Cited: Section 65595, Go vernment Code . Reference : Section 65596,
Government Code .]
9-1 X-4 : The Guidelines
The City 's Water Efficient Landscape Guidelines are crea ted to guide the implementation of th is
ordinance . It prov id es specific technica l and procedural guidance for the app licant to comply with
this Ordinance. It shall have the same power of this ordinance and compliance with the Guideline
Ord inance 16-1013
Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance
Page 4 of 7
is requ ired for all applicab le projects . The Gu idelines is also intended for use and reference by
City staff in reviewing and approvi ng the designs and verifying compliance.
9 -1 X-5: Delegation .
The City may delegate to , or enter into a contract with , a local agency to im plement, administer ,
and /o r enforce any of the provisions of th e Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance includ ing the
Guid elines .
9-1X -6 : Definitions
The following definitio ns are app licable to this Chapter:
"Aggregate landscape areas " perta ins to th e areas undergoing development as one project or fo r
production home ne ighborhoods or other situa tions where multip le parcels are undergoing deve lopment
as one project, but will eventua lly be individua ll y owned .
"Applied water" means the portion of water supp li ed by the irrigation system to the landscape .
"Budget-based tiered-rate structure" mea ns tiered or bloc k rates for irrigation accounts charged by the
retai l water agency in which the bloc k defini tio n for each cu stomer is derived from lot size or irrigated area
and the evapotranspiration requ irements of landscaping .
"Ecolog ical restoration projecf' means a project where the site is intentionally altered to establish a
defined , ind igenous , historic ecosystem .
"Estimated To tal Water Use " means the average annua l tota l amount of water est imated to be necessary
to keep plants in a heal thy state , ca lculated 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 relat ive irrigation
efficiency of the irrigation system .
"ET adjustment factor" or "ETAF " means a facto r that , when app lied to reference evapotransp iration ,
ad j usts for plant factors and irrigation effic iency , the two major influences upon the amount of water that
needs to be appl ied to the landscape .
"Guidelines " refers to the Guidelines for Implementation of the Water Effic ient Landscape Ordinance , as
adopted by the City, which describes procedures , calculations, and requ irements for lands cape projects
subject to this Wate r Efficient Landscape Ordinance.
"Hardscapes" means any durable material or feat ure (pervious and non-pervious) installed in or around a
landscaped area , such as pavements or walls . Poo ls and other water features are cons idered part of the
landscaped area and not cons idered hardscapes for purposes of this Water Efficient Landscape
Ordinance.
"Irrigation efficiency'' means the measureme nt of the amount of water beneficially used divided by the
amount of water app li ed . Irriga tion efficiency is derived from measurements and es t imates of irrigation
system characteristics and management prac tic es . The irrigatio n efficiency for purposes of this Water
Efficient Landscape Ordinance are 0. 75 for overhead spray devices and 0 .. 81 for drip systems .
"Landscaped area" mean s all the planting areas , turf areas , and water features in a landscape design
plan subj ect to the Maximum Applied Water Allowance and Es timated Applied Water Use ca lc ulations.
The landscaped area does not i nclude footprints of buildings or structures , sidewalks , driveways , parking
lots, decks , patios , g ra ve l or stone walks , other pervious or non-pervious hardscapes, and other non-
irrigated areas des ignate d for non-develo pmen t (e .g., open spaces and exi st ing nat ive vegetat ion ).
Ordinance 16-1013
Water Efficient Landscape Ord in ance
Page 5 of 7
"Landscape contractor" means a person licensed by the State of Ca liforn ia to construct , ma in ta in , 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 design projects , as describ ed in the Guidelines .
"Landscape projecf' means total area of landscape in a project, as provided in the defin iti on of
"lan dscaped area," meeting the requiremen t s und er Section 1.1 of this Water Efficient Landscape
Ordinance .
"Local agency" means a city or county , inclu ding a charter c ity or charter county , that is author ized to
im plement, adm inister, a nd/or enforce any of the provis io ns of the Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance .
T he local agency may be respons ible fo r th e enforcemen t or delegat io n of enforcement of th is Water
Efficient Landscape Ord in ance includ ing , but not lim ited to , design review , plan check , issuance of
permits, and in spection of a landscape project.
"Local water purveyor" means any entit y, incl ud ing a public agency , city, co unty, or priv ate water
company that provides retail water service.
"Maximum Applied Water Allowance" or "MAWA " means the up per limit of annua l applied water for th e
established lan dscaped area as spec ifi ed in Sect io n 2.2 of the Guidelines . It is based upon the area 's
referen ce evapotranspiration, the ET Adjustment Factor, and the size of the landscaped area . The
Estimated Applied Water Use sha ll not exceed the Ma ximum Applied Water Allowance. MAWA = (ET a)
(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 Su rface M ini ng and Reclamat io n Act of 1975 .
"New construction" means, for the purposes of th is Water Efficien t Landscape Ordinance , a new build in g
with a landscape or other new landscape such as a park, playground , or greenbelt without an assoc iated
bu il ding.
"Non-pervious" means any surface or natural material that does not allow for the passage of water
th rough the material a nd into the underlyi ng soil.
"Pervious" means any su rface or material that all ows the passage of water through the materia l and into
the underlyin g so il.
"Permif' means an authorizi ng document iss ued by local agencies for new construction or rehabilitated
la ndscape .
"Plant fa ctor' or "plant water use fa c tor" is a factor, when multip lied by ETo, that estimates the amount of
water needed by plants . For purposes of this Water Efficient Landscape Ord inance , the plant factor range
fo r very low water use plants is 0 to 0.1; the plant fa c to r range fo r low water use plants is 0 to 0.3; the
plan t factor range fo r moderate wa ter use plants is 0.4 to 0 .6 ; and the plant factor range for high wate r
use plants is 0. 7 to 1.0. Plant fa ctors cited in this Water Effic ient Landscape Ord inance are deriv ed from
the publicat ion "Water Use C lassificat ion of Landscape Species." Plant factors may also be obtained from
horticultural researchers from academic institutions or profess iona l assoc iations as approved by the
Cal iforn ia Departmen t of Water Resources (DWR).
"Recycled water' or "reclaimed water' means treated or recycled waste water of a qua li ty suitable for non-
po tab le uses such as landscape irr igation an d water features . T his water is not intended for hum an
consumptio n.
Ordinance 16-1013
Water Efficient Landscape O rdi nance
Page 6 of 7
"Reference evapotranspiration" or "ETo" means a standard measurement of environmenta l parameters
which affect the water use of plants . ETo is given expressed in inches per day , month , or year as
represented in Appendix A of the Guidelines , and is an estimate of the evapotranspiration of a large field
of four-to sev en-inch tall, cool-season grass that is well watered . Reference evapotranspiration is used as
the bas is of determ ining the Ma ximu m Applied Water Allowances.
"Rehabilitated landscape" means any re-landscaping proj ect that meets the applicabi lity criteria of this
ordinance, where the modified la ndscape area is greater than 2 ,500 square feet.
"Smart irrigation con troller" means an automatic irrigation controlle r s uti lizing either evapotransp iration or
soil moisture sensor data w ith non-volatile memory sha ll be required for irrig ation schedu li ng in all
irrigat ion system s , recommending U.S. EPA WaterSense labeled devices as applicab le .
"Special landscape area" means an area of the landscape dedicated solely to edible p lants such as
orchards and vegetable gardens , areas irrigated with recycled water, water fea tures using recyc led water,
and re creational areas dedicated to active play such as parks, sports fields , golf courses , and where turf
provides a playi ng surface.
"Turf' means a ground cover surface of mowed grass. Annual bluegrass, Kentucky bluegrass, Perennial
ryegrass , Red fescue, and Ta ll fescue are coo l-season grasses . Bermudagrass , Kikuyugrass, Seashore
Paspalum , St. Augustinegrass, Zoysiagrass , and Buffa lo grass are warm-season grasses .
"Valve " means a device used to control the flow of water in an irrigation system .
"Water feature" means a des ign element where open w ater perfo rms an aesthetic or recreational funct ion .
Water features includ e ponds , lakes , waterfall s , fountains , artificial streams, spas, and sw imming pools
(where water is artificia lly suppl ie d). The surface ar ea of wa ter features is i ncluded in the high water use
hydrazone of the lan dscaped 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 feature s and , therefore , are not subject to the water
budget calculation .
[Note: Authori ty C ited : Section 65595 , Government Code . Reference: Sections 65592 , 65596 ,
Government Code .)
SECTION 4. Severability . The prov isions of this Ord inance are severable , and the invalidity of an y
section , paragraph , phrase , clause , or part of th is Ord i nance sha ll not affect the va li dity or effectiveness of
the rema inder of th is Ordinance.
SECTION 5 . Th is O rdina nce sha ll be effective on the 31st day after adopti on .
SECTION 6. The C ity Clerk sha ll cert ify to the passage and adoption of th is ord inance and to its approval
by the Mayor and shall cause the same to be published accord ing to law.
APPROVED AND ADOPTED THIS THIRD DAY OF MAY, 2016.
Ordinance 16-1013
Water Efficient Landscape Ord in ance
Page 7 of 7
ATIEST:
CITY CLERK
MAYOR
APPROVED AS TO FORM :
CITY ATIORNEY
I, C ity Clerk of the City of Temple City , hereby certify that the foregoing Ordinan ce 16-1013 was
introduced at the regular meeting of the C ity Council of the City of Temple City held on the 191h day of
April, 2016 and was duly passed , approved and adopted by said Council , approved and signed by the
Mayor and attested to by the City Clerk at the regular meeting held on the 3rd day of May, 2016 by the
follow in g vote :
AYES :
NOES :
ABSENT:
ATTEST:
CITY CLERK
Councilmember-
Councilmember-
Councilmember-
Attachment B
c·
T , pie City
Water Efficient Landscape
Guidelines
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Section Page No.
1. Purp o se , Applicabi lity, an d Ame n dment.. ........................................................ 2
1.1 Purpose ..................................................................................................... 2
1.2 Appl ica bil it y .............................................................................................. 3
1.3 Am en d ment(s) .......................................................................................... 4
2. Subm ittal Req uirement s f o r New Land scape I ns t a llati ons or La nd sca p e
Rehab ilitation Projects ........................................................................................ 4
2.1 El ement s of t h e La n d sca pe Do cumentatio n Package ........................ 4
2.2 Wate r Effic ient La n d sc ape Calculati ons and Alte rnatives .................. 6
2.3 Soil and St ormwa t er M anag e m en t ....................................................... 9
2 .4 Land sca p e De si gn Pla n ......................................................................... 11
2.5 Irri gation Des ign Plan ........................................................................... 15
2.6 Grading D esign Plan .............................................................................. 2 1
2.7 Certif i cati on of Co m p l et io n .................................................................. 22
2.8 Post-Inst a ll ati o n I rrigatio n Sc h edu l i ng ............................................... 23
2.9 Pos t -Insta ll ati o n Lan d scape and I r rig ati o n Ma i nte nance ................ 24
3. Pro vi sions f o r Ex isting La n d scapes .................................................................. 24
4. Pub lic Education ................................................................................................ 24
Appendix A: Pre sc ri ptive Compl iance Option ....................................................... 26
Appe n d ix B: Ce rt ific at io n of Lan d sca p e De si gn .................................................... 29
App e nd ix C-1: Wate r Efficient La ndsca p e Worksh eet ......................................... 30
Append ix C-2 : Worksheet Equa t io ns and Com pli ance r equirem en t s ............... 3 1
Appendix C-3: Wate r Efficient Lan dsca pe Work shee t Pl ant a nd I r rigati o n
Effic ie n cy Fact o r s ............................................................................................... 32
A p pendix C-4: Wate r Effici en t Landscap e Wo rksh e et Example .......................... 33
App endix D: Refe r ence Evapotransp irat i o n Tab le ................................................ 34
App end ix E: Certifi cat e of Co mp letio n ................................................................... 35
A p p e n dix F: De fi n itions ............................................................................................ 37
A p pen dix G: Irr i g at ion Plan Che ckl ist ..................................................................... 43
1
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1. Purpose, Applicability, and Amendment
1.1 Purpose
(A) The primary purpose of th ese Gu idelines is to prov ide procedural and
design guidance fo r project applicants proposing landscape installation or
rehabilitation projects t hat are subject t o th e r eq uiremen t s of the Water
Efficient Lands cape Ordinance. This document is also intended for use and
reference by City staff i n re viewi ng and approving designs and verifying
compl ianc e with the Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance. The genera l
goal of the Water Efficient Landscape Ordina n ce is to promote the design,
insta ll ation, and maintenance of la ndscap ing in a manner that conserves
regional water resources by ensuri ng that l andscaping projects are not
undu ly water-needy and that ir ri gation sys tems are appropriately designed
and insta l led t o minimize wate r waste .
(B) Other regu latio ns affectin g landscape design and ma i ntenance pract ices
are potentially applicab l e and shou l d be consulted f or additiona l
requirements. These regu lat ions include but may not be limited to:
(1) State of Cal iforn ia Assembly Bi111881;
(2) National Po ll utant Discharge El im ination Perm it for the Municipa l
Separate Storm Sewer System ;
(3) W ater Conservation and Drought Respo n se Regu lations of the
Lo ca l Wate r PuNeyor;
(4) Regul ations of the Loca l Water Purveyor governing use of Recycled
Water;
(5) Zoning Code;
(6) Building Code;
(7) Specific Plans , Mas te r Plans, Genera l Plan , or sim i lar land use and
plann ing document s; an d
(8) Conditions of app ro va l for a specific project
2
1.2 Applicability
(A) The Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance and these Guidelines appl y to all
of the following landscape projects:
(1) New landscape projects with an aggregate landscape are a equal to
or greater than 500 square feet, requiring a building or landscape
permit, p lan check or des ig n re vi ew;
(2) Rehab i l it ated l andscape projects wi th an aggregate lands cape area
equal to or greater than 2,500 squa re feet, requiring a building or
la ndscape permit, pl an check or design review;
(3) New or re hab ili t ated landscape projects with an aggregate
landscape area of 2,500 square feet or less may comp ly with the
performance requ i rement s of this ordinance or conform to the
prescri ptiv e measures contained in Appendi x A ;
(4) New or rehabilitated projects using treated or untreated graywater
or ra in water capt ure on site, any lot or parcels within the project
that has l ess than 2,500 square feet of landscape area and meets
the lot or parcel's landscape water requirement (Estimate d Total
Wate r Use ) ent i re ly with the treated or untreated graywater or
though stored rainwater capture on si te is subject only to Appendix
A Section (5).
(B) The re qu i rements of the Guideline s may be partially or who ll y wa i ved , at
the discretion of the City or its des i gnee, for landscape rehabil itation
projects that are limi ted to replacement plantings w ith equal o r lower
wate r needs and w here the i rrigation system is found to be de si gned,
operable and programmed consistent with minimizing water was te in
accordance with local water purv eyor regu l ati o ns.
(C) Un less otherw ise determin ed by the City, the Water Efficient Landscape
Ordinance and these Guidelines do not apply t o:
(1) Registered local, state, or federal historica l sites;
(2) Ecolog ical restorat i on projects that do not require a permanent
irrigation system;
{3) Mined -land reclamation projects that do not req uire a permanent
irrigation system ; or
3
{4) Pla nt collections, as part of botanical gardens, and arboretu ms
open to the public.
1.3 Amendment{s)
The City can amend this Guide lin es from time to time for the purpose of
effective ly im pl ementing th e goal s o f the Ci t y's Water Effic ient Landscape
Ordinance. Any amendment shall require the revie w and approval of the
Planning Comm ission at a notic ed publ i c hearing .
2. Submittal Requirements for New Landscape Installations or Landscape
Rehab ilitation Projects
Discretionary approval is typically required for landscape projects that are
subject to site plan reviews, o r w here a varia nce or a Conditional Use Permit is
requested , or other proced ural processes app ly such that sta nd ard or specia l
conditions of approval may be required by the City. Discretionary projects with
conditions of approval may be app r oved ad min istratively by City staff, or ac t ed
on formally by the Planning Commission, City Council, or other jurisd i ct iona l
authority. A typical standa rd condition of approval reads:
"Landscaping for the project shall be designed to comp ly with the
City 's Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance and with the Guidelin es
for Implementation of the Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance."
Landscape or water features th at typically require a ministerial permit (i.e., a
building, plumbing, electrical, or other similar permit), thereby triggerin g
compl ian ce wi t h th e Water Effici ent Landsca pe Ordinan ce requirements
independently of the need fo r d i scretionary app rova l incl ude, b ut are not
limited to, sw i mm ing poo ls, fountains or ponds, retaining walls, and overhead
trellises .
2.1 Elements of the Landsc ape Documentation Package
A Landscape Documentation Package is required to be sub mitted by the
projec t app licant for rev i ew and approva l prior to the i ssuance of
ministerial permits for landscape or wa ter features by the City, and prior to
start o f co nstru ctio n. Unless otherwise directed by t he City, the Landscape
4
-~--------------------
Documentation Package shall include the following elements either on
plan sheets or supplemental pages as directed by the City
(1) Project Informatio n, including/ but not lim ited to/ the following :
(a) Date;
(b) Project name;
(c) Project address, parcel / and/or lot number (s );
(d) Total landscape area (square feet) and rehabilitated
landscape area (if applicable);
(e) Project type (e.g.1 new/ rehabilitated, pu blic, private,
cemetery/ homeowner-installed);
(f) Water supply type (e.g., potable, recycled , or wel l) and
i dentificatio n of the local retai l water purveyor if the projec t
applicant is not served by a private well ;
(g) Check list or index of all documents in the Landscape
Documentation Package ;
(h) Project co ntacts, including co ntact informa t ion for the project
applicant and property owner,
(i) Certification of Design i n accordance wi th Exhibit A of these
Guidelines that includes a landscape professional's
profess i onal stamp, as applicable, signature/ contact
information (in cl udi n g ema il and te l ephone nu mber)/ license
number, an d d ate, certifying the statement that li The design
of th i s proj ect comp lies with the requireme nts of t he City's
Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance~~ and shal l bear the
signature of t he landscape professional as required by law;
and
(j) Any other information the City deems rele vant for
determi nin g whether the landscape project complies with
the Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance and these
Guidelines .
5
(2) Maximum Applied Water Allowance (MAWA) and Estimated Total
Water Use (ETWU) expressed as annua l totals i ncluding, but not
limited to, the following:
(a) Water Efficient Landscape Worksheet for the landscape
project;
(b) Hydrazone in formatio n table for the la ndscape proj ect; and
(c) Water budget calculations for the landscape project.
(3) A soil management report or specificati ons, or specification
provision requiring soil testi ng and amendment recommendations
and implementatio n 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 p lan, unless grading information is inc luded in the
landscape design plan for the landscape project or unless the
landscape project i s l i mited to replacement planting and/or
irrigation to rehabilitate an ex is ting landscape area.
[Note: Authority Cited: Section 65595 , Government Code.
Reference: Sect io n 65596, Government Code.]
2 .2 Water Efficient landscape Calculations and Alternatives
(A) The project applicant shall provide the calculated Maximum Applied Water
Allowance (MAWA) and Estimated Total Water Use (ETWU) for the
landscape area as part of the Landscape Documentation Package subm ittal
to the City. The MAWA and ETWU shall be calculated based on
completing the Water Efficient Landscape Worksheets (in accordance with
the sample worksheets in Appendix C) w hich contain information on the
plant factor, irrigation method, irrigation efficiency and area associated
with each hydrazone. Calculations are the n made to show that the
evapotranspiration adjustment factor (ETAF) for the lands cape project does
not exceed a factor of 0.55 for reside ntia l areas and 0.45 for non-
resi dential areas, exclusive of Special Landscape Areas, wh i ch shall be
calculated using an ETAF of 1.0. The ETAF for a landscape project is based
on the plant factors and irrig ation methods selected. The Maximum Total
6
Water Allow ance is ca l culated based on the maximum ETAF allow ed (0.55
fo r residential areas and 0.45 for non-residential areas ) and expressed as
annual gallons required. T he ETWU is calculated based on the plants used
and irriga t ion method se l ected for the landscape design .
(B) Where the d es ign of the landscape area can otherwise be shown to be
equivalently w ater-effic ient, the project applicant may submit alternativ e or
abbrevia ted information supporti ng the demonstration that the annua l
ETWU is less than the MAWA, at the discretion of and for the rev iew and
approval ofth e localagenc1
(C) Water budget calcu la t ions sha ll adhere to the fo ll owing requ irements :
(1) The MAWA shall be calculated using the Water Efficient Landscape
Worksheets and equation presented in Appendix C. The example
calcu la tion on page 27 is a hypothetica l example to demonstrate
proper use of the equation.
(2) The ETWU shall be calculated using the Water Efficient Landscape
Worksheet and equations presented in Appendix C.
(3) For the ca lculation of the MAWA and ET WU, a project applicant shall
use the ETa value of 50 .2 for Temple City as it is the closest location
to a reference city as provided i n the Referen ce Evapotranspiration
Table in Appendix D.
(4) For calculation of the ETWU, the plant w ater use factor shall be
determ i ned as appropriate to the project location from the Water
Use Effic iency of Landscape Species (WUCOLS ) Species Evaluation
List o r from horticu ltura l researchers wit h academic institutions or
profess ional assoc iations as approved by the Cal ifornia Department
of water Reso urces (DWR). The plant factor ranges from 0 to 0.1 for
very low wate r use p lants, 0.1 to 0.3 for low water use plants, 0.4 to
0.6 fo r m oderate water use p lants, and 0.7 to 1.0 for high w ate r use
pl ants.
(5) For ca lcu latin g the ETWU , the plan t water use factor shall be
dete rmin ed for each valve hydrazone based on the h ighest-water-
use plant species within the zone. The plant factor for each
hydrazo ne may be r equ i red to be fu rther refi ned as a "landscape
coefficient," accord i ng to protoco ls defined in detail in the W UCOLS
7
document, to reflect planting density and microclimate effects on
wa te r need at the option of the project applicant or the City.
(6) For calculation of the ETWU, the area of a water feature sha ll be
defined as a high wa ter use hydrazone with a plant factor of 1.0.
(7) For calcu lation of the ETWU, a temporarily irrigated hydrazone area,
such as an area of highly drought-tol erant native p lants that are not
inte nded to be irrigated after they are fully established, shall be
defined as a very low water use hydrazone with a plant factor of 0.1.
(8) For ca l cu l ati on of th e MAWA, the ETAF for Special Landscape Areas
(SLA) shall be set at 1.0. For ca lc ulation of the ETWU, the ETAF for
SLA shall be calculated as the SLA plant factor divided by the SLA
irrigation efficiency factor.
(9) Irrigation efficiency (I E) of the irrigati on heads used wi th in each
hydrazone shall be assumed to be as follows, unless otherwise
indi cate d by the irrigation equ i pment manufacturer's specifications
or demonstrated by the project applicant:
Irrigation Method
Spray nozzles
High efficiency sp r ay
nozzles
Multi stre am/Multi
trajecto ry rota ry (MSMT)
nozzles
Stream rotor nozzle
Microspray
Bubblers
Drip emitter
Subsurface drip
*DU LH = .386 + (.614 )(DU LQJ
**IE (s pray) = (DU LH)(IM E)
DULQ DULH*
65 % 79%
70% 82 %
7 5% 85%
70% 82%
75 % 85%
** IE (drip) = Emission uniformity (EU )(I M E)
EU IE**
7 1%
73 %
76%
73 %
76%
85 % 77 %
90% 81 %
90% 81 %
(D) The Maximum Applied Water Allowance shall adhere to the following
requirements:
(1) The Maximum Applied Water Allowance sha ll be calculated using
the equation presented in Appendix C. The reference
evapotranspiration (ETa) value of 50 .2 used for this ca lculation are
8
from the Reference Evapotranspiration Table in Appendix D and are
for planning purposes only. For actual irri gation scheduling,
automatic irriga t io n controllers are required and sha ll use current
ETo data , such as from the Ca lifornia Irrigation Management
Information System (CIMIS ), other equivalent data, or soil moisture
se n sor data.
2.3 Soil and Stormwater Management
(A) All planted landscape areas are required to have friable soil to maximize
retention and infi ltration. On engineered slopes, only amended planting
hol es need meet this requ irement.
(B) In order to reduce runoff and encourage healthy plant growth, a soil
management report sh al l be comp leted by the project applicant, or his/her
desig n ee, as fol lows:
(1) Submit soil samples to a certified agronomic soils l aboratory for
analysis and reco mmendations.
(a) Soil sampling shall be conducted in accordance with
laboratory protocol , including protocols regarding adequate
sampling depth for the intended plants.
(b) The soil ana lysis may inclu de, but is not limited to:
1. soil texture;
2. infiltration rate determined by laboratory t est or soil
texture infiltration rate table;
3. pH;
4 . total sol u ble salts ;
5 . sodium;
6 . percent organic matter; and
7 . recomme ndations.
(2) In p rojects wi th multip l e landscape insta ll ations (i.e. production
home developments or common interest developments that are
instal ling lands caping ) a soil sam p ling rate of 1 in 7 lots or
9
approximately 15% will satisfy this requ ireme nt; eve n ly d isbursed
throughout the developme nt. Large landscape proj ects shall
sample at a rate equivalent to 1 in 7 lots or approximately 15%
landscape area . The project applicant, or his/her designee, shall
compl y wi th one of the fo ll owing:
(a) If significant mass grading is not planned, the soil ana ly sis
report shall be submitted to the loca l agency as part of the
Landscape Documentation Package ; or
(b) If significant mass grading is p lanned , the soi l analys is report
shall be submitted to the City as part of the Certification of
Completion .
(c) The soil analysis report shall be made availab l e, in a time ly
manner, to the professionals preparing the landscape des ign
plans and i rrigation design plans in order to make any
necessary adjustments to the design plans.
(d) The project applicant, or h is/her designee, shall su bmit
documentation verifying implementati on of so il ana ly si s
report recommendat ions to the loca l agenc y wi th the
Certification of Completion.
[Note: Authority Cited: Section 65595, Government Code.
Reference: Section 65596, Governme nt Code.]
(C) It is strongl y recommended that landscape areas be designed for capture
and infi ltrati on capacity that is sufficient to prevent runoff from i mpervious
surfaces (i.e. roof and paved areas ) from add itional capacity as required by
the City's Lo w Impact Development Standards as w ell any applicabl e
regional, state, or federal regulat ion.
(D) It is recommended that st orm water projects i ncorporate any of the
following elements to improve on-site stormwater and dry weather runoff
capture and use:
(1) Grade impervious surfaces , such as dri v eway s, during const ruction
to drain into veg eta t ed areas.
(2) Minimize the area of impervious surfaces such as pa v ed areas , roof,
and conc rete driveways.
10
(3) Incorporate pervious or porous surfa ces (e.g. grave l, permeable
pavers o r blocks , pervious or porous co ncrete) that minim ize r unoff
(4) Direct runoff fro m paved surfaces and ro o f areas i nto pl an ting be d s
o r landscape areas to ma ximize site water capture and reuse .
(5) Incorporate rain gardens, cisterns, and other rai n harvesti ng o r
catchment systems.
(6) In corporate infi lt ration beds, swa les, basins, and drywe ll s to capture
sto rm w ater and dry weather runoff and increase percolation into
th e soi l.
(7) Cons ider constru cted wetlands and ponds that retain water,
equa li ze excess flow, and f il ter pollutants.
[Note: Authority cited : Section 6559 5, Government Code. Reference:
Section 65596 , Government Code .]
2.4 Landscape Design Plan
(A) For the effic i ent use of water, a landscape shall be carefully designed and
p l anned for the i nten ded function of the project. The f o llow i ng design
cr ite ria shall be subm itted as part of the Landscape Documentation
Package.
(1) Plant Material
(a) Any pl ant may be selected for the landscape area prov ided
the ETWU in the landscape area does not exceed the MAWA.
Methods to ach i eve w ater effic i enc y shal l include one or
more of the fol lowing :
(2) Protect ion and preservation of non-invasive water-conservi ng plant,
tre e and turf species ;
(3) Selection of wa te r-co nse rving p l ant, tree and turf sp ecies;
(4) Select ion of plants based on loca l cli mate suitab i li t y, disease and
pest res istance;
11
(5) Select ion of trees based on app l icab le City and loca l tree
ordinances or tree shad i ng guidelines, and size at maturity as
appropriate for t he planting area ; an d
(6) Se l ecti on of plants from local and regional l andscape program p lant
lists.
(7) Select ion of plants from local Fuel Mod ification Plan Guidel in es.
(B) Each hydrazone shall have plant materia ls with simila r w ater use ; with the
exception of hydrozones with plants of mixed wate r use, as spec if ied 1n
Section 2.5(a )(2)(D) of these Guidelines.
(C) Plants shall be selected and planted appropriately based upon their
adaptabilit y to the climatic, geo logic, and topographica l cond itions of the
project si t e. Methods to achieve wa ter efficiency sha ll i nclude one or more
of the fo llowing:
(1) Use the Sunset Western Climate Zone Sy stem, or equ iv alent
generally accep t ed mode ls, which takes into account temperature,
humid ity, eleva tion, terra i n, latitude, and v arying degrees of
continenta l and marine influence on local climate;
(2) Recog ni ze the horticu ltural attri butes of p lants (i.e ., mature plant
size, invasive surface roots) to minimize damage to property or
i nfrastructure (e.g ., bui ldings, sid ew alks , and power l ines); allo w for
adequate so il volume for healthy root growth and
(3) Conside r the sola r orien t ation for plant placeme nt to ma x imize
summer shade and winter solar gain.
(D) Turf is discouraged on slopes greater than 25 % w here the toe of the slope
is adjacent to an i mpermeable hardscape and wh ere 25% means 1 foot of
vertical ele vation cha nge for every 4 feet of horizonta l length (ri se d ivi ded
by ru n x 100 = slope percent).
{E) High water use plant s, characterized by a plant factor of 0.7 to 1.0, are
prohibited in street medians .
{F) The use of invasive p lant species plant spec ie s, such as those listed by the
California In vas ive Plat Counc il, is strong ly discouraged.
12
(G) The architectura l guideli ne s of a common interest development, which
include commun it y apartment projects, condominiums, planned
developments, and stock cooperatives, shall not p ro hibit or include
conditions that ha ve the effect of prohibiting the use of water efficient
plant spec ies as a group.
(1) Water Featu re s
(a) Rec irculating water systems sha ll be used for water features.
(b) Where available and consistent with public health guidelines,
recycled water shall be used as a source for decorative w ater
features .
(c) The surface area of a w ater feature shall be included in the
high wate r use hydrazone area of the water budget
calcu lation.
(d) Poo l and spa covers are highly recommended.
(2) Soil Preparation, fv1ulch and Amendments
(a) Pr ior to planting of any mate ri als, compacted soils shall be
transformed to a friable condition. On engineered slopes ,
on ly amended planti ng holes need to meet this requi rement.
(b) Soil amendments shall be incorporated according to the
recommendations of the soil report and wha t is appropriate
for p lants se l ected.
(c) For landscape installations, compost at a rate of a minimum
of four cubic yards per 1,000 square feet of permeab le area
shall be incorporated to a depth of six i nches into the soil.
Soils wit h greater than 6% organ ic matter i n the top 6 inch es
of soil are exempt from adding compost and ti l li ng .
(d) A minimum th ree i nch (3 ") layer of mulch sha ll be applied on
all exp osed soil surfaces of planting areas except in turf
areas, creeping or r ootin g groundcov ers , or direct seeding
app lica tions where mulch is contraindicated. To provide
habitat for benefici al insects and other wi ldlife, up to 5% of
the landscape area may be left without mulch. Designated
13
insect habita t must be i ncluded i n the landscape design plan
as such.
(e) Stabilizing mu l ching p roducts shall be used on slopes that
meet current engineering standards such as those detailed i n
the US DA /USAID Lo w -Vo lume Roads Enginee rin g Best
Management Pra ctices Field Guide .
(f) The mulching po rt ion of the seed /mulch slurry i n hydro-
seeded app l ications sh al l meet the mulching requirement.
(g) Organic mu lch materials made from recycled or post-
consumer shall take precedence over inorganic materials or
virgin forest products unless the recycled post-consumer
organic p ro ducts are not l ocally avai lable. Organic mulches
ar e not required where prohibi t ed by local fu el M od ifica t io n
Plan Gu idel i nes o r other applicable lo ca l ordinances .
(H) The lan dscape design plan, at a minimum, shall:
(1) De l ineate and label eac h hydrazo ne by number, letter, or othe r
method;
(2) Id entify each hydrazone as l ow, moderate, high water, or mixed
wa te r use . Temporarily i rrigated areas of the landscape area shall be
i ncluded in the low water use hydrazone for the water budget
ca lculation;
(3) Identify recreationa l areas;
(4) Identify area s permanently and solely ded icated to ed ibl e pla nts;
(5) Identify areas irriga ted with recycle d water;
(6) Identify type of mulch and ap plic ation depth;
(7) Identify soil amendm en ts , t ype, and quantity;
(8) Identify t yp e and surface area of water features;
(9) Identify hardscapes (pervious and non-pervious );
(10) Id entify loc ation and i nstallation detai ls, and 24-hour reten ti on or
i nfi ltratio n capa city of any applicable storm water best managemen t
14
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practic es that encourage on-site retention and in f i ltration of storm
water. Project applicants sha ll refer to the local agency or regiona l
Water Quality Contro l Board for information on any appl ic able
stormwater technical requirements . Storm wa ter best management
practices are encouraged in the landscape des ign plan and
examp les are provided in Sect ion 2.4(()-(D).
(11) Identify an y applicable rain harvesting or catchment technologies
(e.g ., rain gardens, cisterns, etc.);
(12) Contain the fol lowing statement: "I have complied w ith the criteria
of the Water Efficient Landscap e Ordinance and app li ed them for
the efficie nt use of water i n the landscape design plan;" and
(13) Bear the signature of a Ca li fornia -l icensed landscape profess ional.
[Note: Authority Cited : Sect ion 65595, Reference: Section 65596,
Go vernment Code and Section 135 1, Civil Code .]
2 .5 Irrigation Design Plan
Th is 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 sha ll meet all
the requi re ments li sted i n this section and the manufacturer's
rec ommendations. The irrigation system and its related components shall
be planned and designed to al low for proper installation, management,
and maintenance. An irrigation design plan meeting the fo l lowing design
criteri a sha ll 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, sha ll be installed for all
non-residential irrigated landscapes of 1,000 sq. ft. but not
more than 5,000 sq. ft. (th e leve l at whi ch Water Code 535
appl i es ) and residentia l irrig ated landscapes of 5,000 sq . ft. or
greater. A landscape w ater meter may be either:
15
------------------------
1. A customer serv ic e meter ded icated to landsca pe use
provided by the local w ater purveyor; or
2 . A private ly owned meter or sub meter.
(b) Automatic irrigation controllers utilizing eith er
evapotr ansp i ration or soil moisture sensor data with non-
volatile memory shal l be required for irri gation scheduling in
all irrigation systems, recommending U.S . EPA WaterSense
labeled devices as applicable.
(c) Sensors (rai n, freeze, wind , etc.), either integral or auxiliary,
that suspend or alte r irrigation operation during unfavorable
weather conditions shall be re quired on al l irrigation systems,
as appropriate for local climatic conditions. Irrigation should
be avoided d u ring windy or freezing w eather or during rain.
(d) If the wa ter pressure is below or exc eeds the recommended
pressure of the specified irrigation devices, the i nstallation of
a pressure regu lating device i s required to ensure that the
dynamic pressure at each emi ssion 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 i rr i gation syst em, pressure-
regulating devices such as i nline pressure regulators,
booster p u mps, or other devices shall be installed to
meet the required dynamic pressure of the irrigation
system.
2 . Static wa ter pressure , dynamic or operating pressure, and
flow reading of the w ater supp ly shall be measured at the
point of connection. These pressure and flow
measurements shall be conducted at the design stage . If
the measurements are not avai lable at the design stage,
the measurements shall be conducted at installation.
(e) Backflow prevention devices sha l l be re quired to protect the
water supp ly from contamination by the irrigation sys tem. A
project applicant shall refer to the applicable City code (i.e .,
16
publ ic health) for additional backflow prevention
requirements.
(f) A master shutoff valve shall be as close as possible to the
po i nt of connection and is required on all projects; with the
exception for landscapes that make use of techno logies that
allow for the individual contro l of sprinklers that are
individual ly pressurized in a system equ i pped wi th low
pressure shut down features.
(g) Flo w sensors that detect high f low conditions created by
system damage or malfunction are required for al l non-
residential landscapes and residentia l landscapes of 5,000 sq.
ft. or larger. The flow sensor must be in combination with a
master shut-off valve.
(h) Manual isolation valves (such as a gate valve , bal l valve , or
butterfly valve) shall be required downstream of the point of
connection of the wa ter su pply to m i nimize water loss in
case of an emergency (suc h as a main line break) or routine
repa1r.
(i) The irrigation system shall be des igned to prevent runoff, low
head dra inag e, overspray, or other sim ilar conditions where
irrigation water flows onto non-targeted areas, such as
adjacent property, non -irrigate d areas, hardscapes , roadways,
or structures.
0> Relevant information from the soi l management plan , such
as soil type and infiltration rate , sha ll be utilized when
des ignin g irri gation systems .
(k) The design o f the irrigatio n system shall conform to the
hydrozones of the landscape desig n plan .
(I) All i rriga tion emission devices must meet the requirements
set in the American National Standards Institute (ANSI)
standard, American Society of Ag ricultu r al and Bio logical
Engineers '/International Code Counc il's (ASABE/ICC) 802-
2014 "Landscape Irrigation Sprink ler and Emitter Standard ,
All Sprinkler heads installed in the landscape must document
17
a distributio n uniformity low qua rter of 0.65 or higher using
the protocol defined i n ASBE /ICC 802 -2 014.
(m) Average irrigation efficiency (IE ) for the project sha ll be
determ in ed in accordance with t he ETWU calculation she et in
A p pend ix B. Un less otherwi se indicated by t he irrigation
equipment manufacturer's specifications or demonstrated by
the project appl ica nt, the irrigation efficiency of the irr igation
heads used wi t h i n each hydrazone shall as lis ted i n Section
2.3(()(9).
(n) It is highly recommended that the project applicant or local
agency i nquire with the loca l w ater purveyor about p ea k
wate r operating deman ds (o n the water suppl y system) or
water restri ctio ns tha t ma y impact the effect iveness of the
irrigation system.
(o) In mulched planting areas, the use of low vol ume irrig ation
(drip or low volume ove rhead irrigation) i s requ ired to
ma ximize w ater infi ltratio n into the root zone; w ith t he
exception of areas wi th fuel modificatio n requirem ents
and /or t hose that require plant establ i shm ent to comply with
local grading ordinances .
(p) Sprin kle r heads and other em 1ss 1on devices sha ll have
matched precipitation rates, unless otherwise directed by the
manufacturer's recommendations.
(q) Head to head coverage is recommended. However, sprinkle r
spacing sha l l be designed to achieve the highest possible
distributi on uni fo rm ity usmg the manufacturer's
recommendations.
(r) Swing joi nt components are requ ir ed on all sprin kl ers su bject
to damage that are adja cent to hardscapes or in high traffic
areas of turf
(s) Check val ves or anti -drain va lves are required o n all sprinkler
heads w here l ow po int drainage could occur.
18
(t) Areas less than ten (10) feet in width in an y direction shall be
irri gated with subsurface irrigation o r othe r means that
produces no runoff or overspray.
(u) Overhead irrigation shall not be perm itted w ithin 24 inches
of an y non-permeable surface. A ll ow able i rrigation with i n the
setbac k from non-permeab le surfaces may include drip, dri p
line, or other low flow non -spray technology. The setback
area ma y be p lanted o r unplanted . The surfacing of the
setbac k may be mulch , gravel , or other porous material.
These restr i ctions may be modified if:
1. the landscape area is adjacent to permeab l e surfacing
and no runoff occu rs; or
2. the adjace nt non-permeab le su rfaces are designed and
constructed to drain enti rely to landscaping; or
3. the irriga ti on designer f or the landscape project specifies
an alterna tive design or tech n ology, as pa rt of t he
Landscape Documentation Package , and clearl y
demonstrates strict adherence to the i rr i gation sy stem
design cr iteria i n Sect i o n 2.5 (a)(l )(H) hereof. Pre v ention
of overspray and runoff must be confirmed duri ng an
irrigation audit.
4. slopes greater than 25 % sha l l not be irriga t ed w ith an
irrigat ion system w ith a application rate exceeding 0.75
inches per hour. This restriction may be mod ified if the
lan dscape designe r of the landscape project spec ifies an
alternative design or techno logy, as part of the Landscape
Documen tation Package, and clearly demonstrates no
runoff or erosion w i ll occur. Pre v ention of runoff and
er osion must be confi r med duri ng the irrigation audit.
(2) Hydrazone
(a) Each val ve shal l i rrigate a hydrazone wi th si milar site, slope,
sun ex posure, soil conditions, and plant materials w ith si mi l ar
water use.
19
(b) Sprinkler heads and other em i ssion devices shall be selected
based on what is appropriate for the plant t ype within that
hydrazone.
(c) Where feasib l e, trees sha l l be placed on separate valv es from
shrubs, groundcov ers , and turf to facilitate the appropriate
i rrigation of trees . The matu r e size and extent of the root
zone shall be cons idered w hen design i ng irrigation for the
tree.
(d) Individua l hydrazones that mix plants of moderate and low
water use or moderate and h igh water use may be allowed if:
1. The plant factor calculation is based on the proportions of
the respective p lant water uses and their respecti ve plant
factors; or
2. Th e plant factor of the higher water using plant is used
for the ca l culations.
(e) Indivi dua l hydrazones that mix high and low water use plants
shall not be permitted .
(f) On the l andscape des ign plan and irrigation design plan ,
hydrazone areas shall be des i gnated by number, letter, or
other designation. On the irrigation design plan , des ignate
the areas irri gated by each valve and assign a number to
each valve.
(g) The irrigation design plan , at a minimum, shall 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, inc luding controllers, main and lateral
lines , va lves, sprinkler heads, moisture sensing devices , ra in
sw itches, quick couplers, pressure regulators, and
backflow prevention devices ;
3. static wa ter pressure at the poin t of connection to the
public water supply;
20
-------------------------·--
4 . flo w rate (gallons per minute), appl icati on rate (i nches per
hour), an d design operating pressure (pressure per square
inch) for each statio n;
5 . irrig ati on schedu l e parameters necessary to program
smart t i me rs spec if ied i n the landscape design;
6 . the fo llowi ng statement: "I have complied w it h the criteria
of the Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance and appl ied
them accord ing ly for t he efficient use of water in th e
irri gatio n design p l an ;" an d
7 . the signature of a Californ i a-li censed landscape
professional.
[Note: Author ity Cited : Section 65 595, Government Code.
Reference: Sect ion 65596, Government Co de.]
2 .6 Grading Design Plan
(A) For t he effi cie nt use of water, g rad ing of a landscape project site shal l be
designed to minimize so i l erosion, runoff, and w at er waste. Fin ished
grading con figuration of the landscape area , includ i ng pads, slopes,
drainage, post-construction erosion contro l, and storm wa ter control Best
Manageme nt Pract ices , as appl icable, sha ll be show n on the Landsca pe
Plan unless th is information is full y inc luded in sepa rate Grading Plans for
the p roject , or un less the project is limited to replacement planting and/or
irrigation to rehabil itate an exis t i ng landscape area .
(B) Th e projec t appli cant shall submit a landscape grad in g plan that indi cates
fin ished configurations and elevations of the landscape area incl uding:
(1) Height of graded slopes;
(2) Drainage patterns;
(3) Pa d ele vati ons;
(4) Fin i sh grade; and
(5) Storm water reten tion i mp ro vements, if applicable.
2 1
(C) To prevent excess ive erosion and runoff, it is highly recommended that the
project applicant.
(1) Grade so that all irrigation and norma l rainfall remains within
property lines and does not drain on to non-permeable hardscapes;
(2) Avoid disruption of natural drainage patterns and undisturbed so i l;
and
(3) Avoid soil compaction in landscape areas.
(D) The Grading Des ign Plan shall contain the following statement: "I have
complied with the criteria of the ordinance and appl ied them accordingly
for the efficient use of water in the grading des ign p lan " and sha ll bear the
signature of the landscape professional, as required by law.
[No te: Authority Cited: Section 65595 , Government Code . Reference:
Section 65596, Go vern ment Code.]
2.7 Certification of Completion
(A) Landscape project installation shall not proceed until the Landscape
Documentation Package has been approved by the City and any ministerial
permits required are iss ued.
(B) The project applicant shall notify the City at the beginn in g of the
i nstallation work and at intervals, as necessary, for the duration of the
landscape project work to schedule all required inspections.
(C) Certification of Completion of the landscape project shall be obtained
through a Certificate of Use and Occupancy or a Permit Final. The
requirements for the Final I nspection and Permit Closure include submittal
of:
(1) A Landscape Installation Certificate of Completion in the form
included as Appendix D of these Guidelines , which shall i nclude: (i)
certification by a landscape professional that the landscape project
has been installed per the approved Landscape Documentation
Package ; and (i i) 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 wa ter in the landscape."
22
(a) Where there have been signi ficant changes (as deemed by
the local pe rmitti ng agency) made i n the fi el d during
construction, these "as-bu ilt" or record drawings shall be
incl uded w ith the certificate
(b) A diagram of the irrigation plan showing hydrozones shall be
kept w ith 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 loca l agency landscape irrigation
aud itor or third party certified landscape irrigation auditor,
doc umentation of enrol lment i n reg i onal or local water pu rveyor's
water co nservat ion programs, and /o r documentation that the
MAWA and ETWU info rmation for t he landscape project has been
submitted to the local water purveyor, may be required at the
option of the City.
(a) Landscape audits shall not be conducted by the person who
des igned or installed the landscape.
(b) I n la rge projects or projects wi th multi ple landscape
insta ll ations (i.e . production home deve lopments or common
interest developments ) an auditing rate of 1 in 7 lots or
approximate ly 15 % wi ll sa ti sfy th is requ i rement.
[Note: Authori t y Cited : Section 65595 , Government Code.
Refe rence : Sect ion 65596, Government Code.]
2.8 Post-Installation Irrigation Scheduling
For the efficient use of water, al l i rrigation schedules shall be developed ,
manage d, and evaluated to util ize the minimum amount of wa ter requ i red
to maintain plant health . Irrigation sche dules sha ll meet the following
criteria:
(1) Irrigation scheduling shall be regulated by automatic i rrigation
controllers .
(2) Overhead irr igation sha l l be schedu l ed in acco rdance with the local
water purveyor's Water Conservation Ordinance or policies.
23
Operation of the irrigation system outside the normal watering
window is all ow ed for aud iting and system maintenance.
[Note: Authority Cited : Section 65595, Government Code.
Reference : Section 65596, Government Code .]
2.9 Post-Installation landscape and Irrigation Maintenance
Landscapes sha ll be conti nuousl y ma i ntained to ensure water use
efficiency i n accordance with the approved capac ity at the time of project
constructi on and with this ord inanc e.
3 . Provisions fo r Ex is t ing l an dsca pes
(A) Irrigation of all landscape areas shall be conducted in a manner
conforming to the rules and requirements and shall be subject to penalties
and incentives for water conservation and w ater w aste pre vention, as
determined and imp l emented by the local water purveyor and as may be
mutually agreed by the City.
(B) The City and /or the regional or loca l water purveyor may admin i ster
programs such as ir rigation water use analyses , irrigation surveys and/or
irrigation audits, tiered wa ter rate structures, water budgeting by parcel , or
other approaches to achieve land scape water use effic i ency community-
wid e to a level equivalent to or less than would be ach i eved by app lyi ng a
MAWA calcu lated with an ETAF of 0.8 to all landscape areas in the City
over one acre i n size.
(C ) The architectura l guide li nes of a common interest development , including
apartments, condominiums, p lanned developments, and stock
cooperati ves , shall not prohibit or include cond itions that ha ve the effect
of prohibiting the use of low-water use plants as a group.
[Note: Authority Cited : Section 65595, Government Code. Reference:
Sect ion 65596, Government Code.]
4 . Public Educat ion
24
(A) Publicati ons . Education is a critical component to promote the efficient use
of w ater in landscapes. The use of appropriate principles of design,
installation, management, and ma i ntenance that save wa ter is encouraged
i n the co mmu nity.
(B) Model Homes. All model homes that are landscaped shall use signs and
w ritten informati on to demonstrate the pri nc iples of water efficient
landscapes as descri bed.
(1) Signs shal l be used to identify the model as an example of a water
efficient landsca p e f eaturing element s such as hydrozones , irrigation
equ i pment, and others that contri bute to the overal l wa t er effi cie nt
theme. Signage sha ll i nclude information about the si t e water use
as designed pe r the local ord i nance; spec ify who des igned and
insta ll ed the site wa t er effi cient landscape; and demonstrate low
wate r use approaches to landscaping such as using appropriate
plants, alternati v e wa ter sources, or rain w ater catchment systems.
(2) Information sha ll be provided about designing, installing,
ma naging, and mai ntaining wa t er effic ient landscapes .
[Note: Authority Cited: Section 65595 , Government Code.
Referen ce: Sect ion 65596, Government Code .]
25
Appendix A: Prescriptive Compliance Option
PRESCRIPTIVE COMPUANCE OPTION
(A) This append ix contains prescriptive requirements which may be used as a
compliance option to the Ordinance.
(B) Comp liance w ith the fo llowing items is mandatory and must be documented in a
landscape p lan in order to use the prescriptive compliance option:
(1) Submit a Landsc ape Documentation Package w h ic h incl udes the following
elements:
(a) Date
(b) Project applicant
(c) Project address (if availab le, parce l and/or lot number (s))
(d) Total l andscape area (s quare feet), including a breakdown of turf
and p l ant material
(e) Proje ct type (e.g., ne w, rehabilitated, public, private, cemetery,
homeowner-installed )
(f) Wate r supply type (e.g., potable, recyc led, w ell ) and identify the
local r etail w ater purveyo r if the app lica nt is not served by a private
well
(g) Contact info rma tion for the project applicant and property o wner
(h) Applicant signatu re and date w ith statement, "I agree to comply
w ith the requ ireme nts of the prescriptive compliance option to the
MWELO"
(2) Incorporate compost at a rate of at least four cubic y ards per 1,000 square
feet to a depth of six i nches into landscape area (un l ess contra-in d ic ated
by a soil test);
(3) Plan t material shall comp ly with all of the follow ing :
(a) For resident ial areas, install climate adapted p lants that req uire
occasional, li ttle or no summer wa ter (av erage WUCOLS plan factor
26
0.3) fo r 7 5% of the plant area excluding edibles and areas using
recycled water; For non-residential areas, install climate adapted
plants t hat require occasional, little or no summer water (average
WUCOLS plan factor 0.3) for 100% of the plant area excluding
edibles and areas using recycled water;
(b) A min imum t hree 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 w ith all of the following:
(a) Turf shall not exceed 25% of the landscape area in residential areas,
and turf shall not be planted in non-residential areas
(b) Turf shall not be planted on sloped areas w hic h exceed a slope of 1
foot vertical elevation change for every 4 feet of horizontal le ngth;
(c) Turf is prohibited in parkways less than 10 feet w ide, unless the
parkway is adjacent to a pa rking strip and used to enter and exit
vehicles. Any turf in parkways must be irrigated by sub-surface
irri gation, or by other technology that creates no overspray or
runoff.
(5) Irrigation systems sha ll co mply 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 w hich does not lose
programmmg data in the event the primary power source is
interrupted.
(c) Pressure regula tors shall be insta lled 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.
27
----------------------------------
(e) All irrigation emission devices must meet the requ i rements set in
the ANSI standard, ASABE/ICC802-2014 . "Landscape irrigation
Sprinkler and Emitter Standard." All Sprinkler heads installed in the
la ndscape must document a distribution uniformity low quarter of
0.65 or h igher using the protocol defined in ASABE/ICC 802-2014.
(C) At the time of f i nal i nspection, the pe rm it applicant must provide the owner of
the property with a certificate of completion, certificate o f installation, irrigation
schedu le and a schedule of landscape and i rrigation maintenance.
28
------------------------------------------------------
City of Temple City
CERTIFICATION OF LANDSCAPE DESIGN
Appendix B: Certification of Landscape Design
I hereby certify that:
(1) I am a professional appropri ate ly licensed 1n the State o f California to provide
professio nal lan dscape design serv ices .
(2) The landscape design and w ater u se calculations fo r the property located at _____ _
(provid e street address or pa rcel number(s )) were prepa red by me or under my su pervision.
(3) The land scape design and water use calcu lati ons for the identified property comply with
the re qui remen t s of the City of Temple City Water Efficient Landsc ap e O rdi nance and the City of
Temple City Guidelines for I mplementation of the City of Te mple City Water Efficient Landscape
Ordinance.
(4) The information I h ave provid ed in this Certifi ca t e of Landscape Design is true and
correct and is hereby submitted in compl iance with the City of Temp le City Gu id elines for
Implementat ion o f the City of Temple City Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance.
Print Name
Signature
Address
Te lep hone
Landscape Design Professiona l's Stamp
(If applicable)
Date
License Number
E-mai l Address
29
Appendix C-1 : Water Efficient La ndscape Worksheet
WATER EFFICIENT LANDSCAPE WORKSHEET
led out by the project applicant and it is a required item of the Landscape Documentation Package.
Reference Evapotranspiration (ETo)3 : 50.2
1
2
3
4
5
6
1
2
3
Hydrazone
#/Plan ting
Pl ant
Group Fa ctorb
# (PF)
Irrigation
Methode
30
Landscape Area Sector Type [] Res idential
(select one): [ ] Non-Re si dential
Irrigation
Efficiency' ETAF
(PF/IE
Total
1
1
1
ETAF x
Area
ETWU
Total
MAWA
Estimated
Total
Water
Appendix C-2 : Worksheet Equations and Compliance requirement s
WORKSHEET INFORMATION & EQUA TIONS
*ETWU is required to be below MAWA
*For regu l ar landscaped areas must be 0.55 or below for residential areas, and 0.45 or below for non -residential areas.
Estimated Total Wat er Use (ETWU) is the annual gallon s required for the landscape
= (ETo) x (0.62) x (ET AF 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
ET AF = plant factor -:-irrigation efficiency
Maximum Allowed Water Allowance (MA WA) is the annual gall ons allowed
MA WA = (ETo) x (0.62) x [(ET AF x LA)+ ((l -ET AF) x SLA)]
where, ETo =annual evapotransp ir ation rate in inches per year
0.62 =factor u sed to con vert inches per year to ga ll ons per s quare foot
ETAF = 0 .55 or 0.45
LA = total (s ite w ide) land s cape area in square feet
SLA = total spec ial land scape area
Average ET AF
= (ETAF x Area)/ Landscape Area (s q-ft), or (B)I (A)
3 1
------
Appendix C-3: Water Efficient Landscape Workshe et Pl a nt and Irr igation Efficiency Factors
The following table can be used for common plant factors:
Plant Factor PF
Very low water use p lant 0.1
Low water use plant 0.2
Medium water use plant 0.5
Hiqh water use plant 0.8
Lawn 0.8
Pool, spa, or other water 1.0
feature
c Irrigation efficiency is derived from mea surements and estimates of irrigation system characteristics and manag ement practices. The
minimum average irrigation efficiency for purposes of these Guide l in es is 0.71 . The following irrigation efficien cy may be obtained for
the listed irrigation heads with an Irrigation Management Efficiency of 90%:
Irrigation Method IE
Spray nozz les 71 %
High effi ciency spray 73 % nozzl es
Multi stream/Mu lti
trajectory rotary (MSMT) 76%
nozz les
Stream rotor nozzle 73 %
Microspray 76 %
Bubblers 77 %
Drip emitter 81 %
Sub surface drip 81 %
Average ETAF for Regular Land scape Areas
must be 0.55 or below for residential areas, and 0.45 or below for nonresidential areas.
32
Appendix C-4 : Water Efficient landscape Worksheet Example
A hypothetical project: a new single-family house with a total landscaped area of 2,600 square feet. The landscaping design shows
that the landscaping includes a front lawn, multiple areas with water-efficient plants, and an edible garden in the rear yard . The
worksheet shows the breakdown s of different areas and the ca lculation of ETWU for each area. The calculation shows that the ETWU
wi ll below the MAWA, and the Av erage ETAF is 0.50, which is below 0 .55 allowed.
Estimated
Hydrazone Plant I rrigation Total W ater
#/Planting Group Factorb Irrigation Efficiencl ETAF ETAF x Used
# F) Met hod' (I Area
560 17,429
Total 190 37,036
Area
Vegetable
1 Garden 1 100 100 3,112
2 1
3 1
*ETWU 37,036+3,112
Total =40,148
*MAWA 44,196
*E TWU = (ETo) x (0 .62) x (ETAF x Area )
*MAWA = (ETo) x (0.62) x [(ETAF x LA) + ((1 -ETAF) x SLA)] [MAWA calculation: 50.2 x .62 x (.55 x 2,500 +.45 x 100}=44,196]
*Average ETAF = B/A [1,190/2,500 =.48 <.55 maximum allowed]
33
Append ix D: Refer ence Ev a pot r a nspirat ion Ta ble
REFERENCE EVAPOTRAN S PIRATION (ET o ) TABLE
County and Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug
City
LOS ANGE LES
Monrovia 2.2 2.3 3 .8 4.3 5.5 5.9 6 .9 6.4
Palmdale 2.0 2.6 4 .6 6.2 7.3 8 .9 9.8 9.0
Pasadena 2.1 2 .7 3 .7 4.7 5.1 6.0 7.1 6 .7
Pearblossom 1.7 2.4 3 .7 4 .7 7 .3 7.7 9.9 7.9
Po mona 1.7 2.0 3.4 4.5 5.0 5.8 6.5 6.4
Redondo 2.2 2.4 3.3 3.8 4.5 4 .7 5 .4 4 .8
Beach
San Fernando 2.0 2.7 3.5 4.6 5.5 5.9 7.3 6.7
Santa Clarita 2.8 2 .8 4 .1 5.6 6.0 6.8 7.6 7 .8
* The va lu es in thi s t ab le we re d erived fro m :
1) Ca liforn ia I rriga t ion M anageme nt Info rm ation Sys t em (CIMIS);
2) Re f er ence EvapoTranspira t ion Zones Map, UC Dept. of Land, Air & Water Resources and
California Dept of Water Re so urce s 1999; and
3) Reference Evapotranspiration for Ca lifornia, Un iversity of California, De partment of Agriculture
and Nat ura l Reso urces (1987) Bulletin 1922 4) Determining Da ily Re f erence Evapot ran sp ir ation,
Publi cat io n Leaflet 21426
Cooperative Ex t e nsion UC Divisio n of Ag r iculture a ve rages.
3 4
Sep
5.1
6 .5
5.6
6.4
4.7
4.4
5.3
5.8
Oct Nov Dec Annual
ETo
3.2 2.5 2.0 50.2
4 .7 2 .7 2 .1 66.2
4.2 2.6 2 .0 52.3
4 .0 2.6 1.6 59.9
3.5 2.3 1.7 47.5
2.8 2.4 2.0 42.6
3.9 2.6 2.0 52.0
5.2 3 .7 3 .2 61.5
City of Temple City
LANDSCAPE INSTALLATION
CERTIFICATE OF COMP LET ION
Appendix E: Certificate of Completion
LANDSCAPE INSTALLATION CERTIFICATE OF COMPLET ION
I hereby certify that
(1) I am a professional appropriately l icensed 1n the State of California to provide
professiona l landscape design services for: ________ _
______________ (project name, mailing address and telephone).
(2) The landsca pe project for the property l ocated at _____________ _
---------------------(provide street address or parcel
number(s)) was instal led by me or under my supervision.
(3) The landscapi ng 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 Templ e City Wate r Efficient Landscape Ordinance the City o f Temple City Gu i delines
for Implementation of the City of Temple City Water Effi cient Landscape Ordinance for the
efficient use of water i n the landscape.
(4) The foll o w ing elements are attached hereto:
a. Irrigation schedu ling parameters used to set the controller;
b. Landscape and irrigation maintenance schedule;
c. Irrigation aud it repo rt; and
d . Soil analysis report, if not submitted with Landscape Docu mentation Package, and
documentati on verifyi ng implementation of the soi l report recommendations.
(5) The site installation comp lies w ith the following:
a. The required irrigation system has been i nstalled according to approved plans and
specifications and if applicab le, any prior approved irrigat ion system alternatives.
Yes No
b. Sprinklers comply with ASABE/ICC 802-2014 Landscape I r rigation Sprinkler & Emitter
Standard .
Yes No
35
City of Temple City
LANDSCAPE INSTALLATION
CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION
(6) The information I have provided in this Landscape I nstalla t ion Certificate of Completion
is true and correct and is hereby submitted in compliance with the City of Temple City
Guidelines for Implementation of the City of Temp le City Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance.
Print Name
Signature
Address
Telephone
Landscape Design Profess ional's Stamp
(lf Appropriate)
Date
License Number
E-mail Address
36
Appendix F: Definitions
DEFINITIONS
The terms used in these Guide lines have th e meaning set forth belo w :
"Aggrega te " area pertains to production home neighborhoods, common interest developments,
or other situations whe re multiple parc els are undergoing landscape development as one
p roject, but may eventua l ly be individu ally o wned o r maintained.
"Backflo w prevention device" means a safety device used to prevent pol lution or contamination
of th e water supply due to the re v erse flow of water from th e irrigation system.
"Ch eck valve " or "an ti-drain valve" means a valve located under a sprinkler head, o r oth er
locat ion in the irrigati o n syste m, to hold water in the system to prevent draina ge from sprinkler
heads when the spr inkler is off.
"Certified Landscape Irriga tion Auditor'' means a person certifi ed to perform l an dscape i rr igation
audits by an accredited academic insti tuti on, a professional trade organ ization o r oth er program
such as the US Environmental Protection Agen cy's WaterS ense irrigation aud itor certification
program and Irrig ation Associat ion's Certified Landscape Irri gatio n Auditor program.
"Certification of Design" means the certification included as Exhibit E of these Gu ideli nes t h at
must be included i n the Landscape Documentation Pac kage pursu ant to Section 2.1 of t hese
Guideline s.
"City'' mea ns the City of Te mple City or its authorized designee.
"Common interest deve l opmen ts " means commun ity apartment projects, cond om in i um projects,
planned developments, and stock cooperatives per Civi l Code Sec tion 1351
"Distribution Uniformity'' o r "DU" i s a measure of how uniformly an i rrigation he ad app l ies water
to a specific target area and theoretically rang es form zero to 100 percent.
"Drip " irrigation means an y non-spray low volume irriga tion system utilizi ng em issio n devices
with a flow rote mea sured in gallons per hour. Low volume irrigation systems are speci f ically
designed to apply small volumes of water slowly at or near t he root zone of plants.
"Emitter" means a drip irrigation em ission device that deliv ers water slowly from the system to
the soil.
"Estimated Total Water Use " or "" me ans the an nua l total amount of water est i mated to kee p
plants in a healthy state. It is based on factors such as reference evapotranspiration rate, the size
of the landscape area, plant water use factors, and the irrigation efficiency within ea ch hydrazone.
37
"Evapotranspiration adjustment factor" or "ETAF" means a factor of 0.55 for residential areas and
0.45 for non-residential areas, that, when applied to referenc e 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 new and existing (n on-rehabilitated) Special
Landscape Areas shall not exceed 1.0. The ETAF for existing non-rehabi litated landscapes i s 0.8.
"Evapotransp iration rate" means the quantity of water eva porated from adjacent soi l and other
surfaces and transpired by plants during a specifi ed time.
"Flow rate " means the rate at which wa ter flows through pipes, valves and emissio n devices,
measured in gallons per minute, gallons per hour, or cubic feet per second.
"Hardscapes" means any durable material or feature (pervious and non-pervious) insta ll ed in or
around a landscape area, such as pavements or walls. Pools and other water features are
considered part of the landscape area and not considered hardscapes for purposes of these
Guidelines.
"Graywater" means a system intreated was tewater that has not been contami nated by any toi let
d i scharge, has not been affected by infect ious, contaminated , or unhealthy bodily wastes, and
does not prese nt a threat from contamination by unhealthy process ing , manufacturing, or
operating wastes. Graywater includes, but is not lim i ted to, was tewater f rom bathtubs, sho wers,
bathroom washbasins, clothes washing machines. And laundry tu bs, but does not include
was tewater from kitchen sinks or d i shwashers as per the Health and Safety Code (Section
17922.12). Graywater systems promote the effici ent use of water and are encouraged to assist
in on-site landscape irri gation. All graywater systems shall confo rm to the Ca lifornia Plumbi ng
Code (Title 24 , Part 5, Chapter 16) and any applicab le local ordinance standards.
"Hydrazone" means a portion of the landscape area having plants with simi l ar water needs and
typically irrigate d by one valve/controll er station. A hydrazone may be irri gated or no n-irrigated.
"Infiltration rate" means the rate of wate r entry into the soil expressed as a depth of water per
unit of time (e.g., inch es per hour).
"Invasive" plants species or "noxious" mea ns species of plants not historica lly f o und in California
that spread outside cultivated areas and can damage environmental or economic resour ces.
Invasive plant species may be re gu lated by county agricultural agenc ies as noxious species.
"Irrigation audit'' means an in -depth evaluation of the performance of an irrigati on system
conducted by a Certified Landscape Irrigation Auditor. An irriga tion 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 schedu l e.
"Irrigation Management Efficiency" or "/ME" means the measurement used to calculate the
irrigation efficiency of the irrigation system for a landscaped project. A 90 % IME can be
38
achieved by using evaportranspiration controllers, soil moisture sensors, and other methods that
wi l l adjust irrigation run times to meet plant water needs.
"Irrigation efficiency" or "IE" means the measurement of the a mount 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 p r actices. The
minimum average irrigation efficiency for purposes of these Gu idelines is 0.7 1. Greater irrigation
efficiency can be expected from well designed and maintained systems. The fol lowing irrigation
efficiency may be obtained for the liste d irrigation heads with an IME of 90%:
Irrigation Method DULQ
Spray nozzles 65%
High efficiency spray 70%
nozzles
Multi stream/Mu lti
trajectory rotary (MSMT) 75%
nozzles
Stream rotor nozzle 70%
M i crospray 75%
Bubblers
Drip emitter
Subsurface drip
*DU LH = .386 + (.614)(DULQl
**IE (spray) = (DULH)(IME)
DULH EU *
79%
82%
85%
82%
85 %
85%
90%
90%
**IE (drip) = Emi ssion uniformity (EU )(IME)
IE **
71%
73 %
76%
73 %
76%
77%
81%
81%
"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 irri gated
landscape 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 Gu idelines.
"Landscape Installation Certificate of Completion " means the certificate included as Exhib it F of
these Gu idelines that must be submitted to the City pursuant to Section 2.7 (a)(1) o f hereof.
"Landscape professional" means a licensed landscap e architect, li censed landscape contract or, or
any other person authorized to design a landscape pursuant to Sections 5500.1, 5615, 5641,
564 1.1, 5641.2, 5641.3, 5641.4, 5641.5, 5641.6, 6701, 7027.5 of the California Busi ness and
Profess ions Code, Sect io n 832 .27 of Title16 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 p lan subject to the Maximum Applied Water Allowance and Estimated Applied Water Use
39
calculations. The landscape area does not include footprints of bui ldings or stru ctures, sidewa l ks,
d ri veways, parking lots, decks, patios, gravel or stone walks, oth er pervious or non-pervious
hardscapes, and other non -irri gated areas designated for non-development (e.g., open spaces
and ex isting native vegetation).
"Latera/line" means the water deli v ery pipeline that supplies water to the emitters or sprinklers
from the valve.
"Low volume irrigation" mean s the appl icati on of irri gation water at lo w pressu re thro ug h a
sys t em of tub in g or latera/lines and low vol ume emitters such as drip, dri p l ines, and bubbl ers .
Lo w volume irrigation systems are specifi cal ly designed to apply sma ll volumes of wa te r slowly at
or nea r the root zone of plants.
"Low volume o verhead irrigation " means aboveground irrigation heads with an upper f low l imit
of 0.5 GPM .
"Main line" means the pressu rized pipe lin e t h at deli vers wate r from the water source to the valve
or outlet.
"Manual Isolation Valve" means a valve such as a gate va lve, ball valve, or b utterfly valve
installed dow nstream of the po i nt of con nection of the water supp ly to shutdown water f low
throu gh main l ine piping for r outi ne ma i ntenan ce and emergency repa ir.
"Master shut-off va lve " an electronic v alve such as a so lenoid valve installed as close as possib le
to the point of connecti on and is used in conj unction with a flow sensor and f l ow monitori ng
contro ll er technology to automatic ally shutdown system wi de wa te r flow in the event of high
f low conditions such as main l ine p ip e break.
"Maximum Applied Water Allowance " or "MAWA" means the upper li mit of ann u al applied w ater
for the estab li shed landscape area, as specified i n Section 2.2 of these Guidelines . It i s based
upon the area 's reference evapotranspiration , the ETAF, and the size of t he landscape area. The
Estimated Applied Water Use shall not exceed the Maximum Applied Water Allowance.
"Microclimate" means the cl i mate of a small , spec i fic area that may contrast with the cl im ate of
the overa ll landscape area due to factors such as win d, sun exposu re, plant densi t y, or proximity
to re f lective surfaces.
"Mulch" means any organic materia l su ch as leaves, bark, straw or compost, or inorg anic mineral
materials such as rocks, gra vel, or decomposed granite left loose and appli ed t o the soi l surface
for the beneficia l p urposes of reducin g evaporation, sup press ing weeds, moderati ng soi l
temperature, and preventing so il eros i on .
"Non -pervious" means any surface o r n atu ral material t ha t does not allow for the pas sage of
wa ter th rough the material and into the underlying soil.
"Operating pressure" means the pressu re at which t he parts of an irrigation system of sprinklers
are designed to operate at by the manufacturer
40
"Ove rsproy" means the irrigation water which is delivered beyond the target area.
"Person " means any natural person , f irm , joint venture, joint stock company, partnersh i p, public
or private associati on, club, company, corporation, busin ess trust, organ ization, public or private
agency, government agency or institution, school d i strict, col lege, univers ity, any other user of
water provided by the City or the local wa ter purveyor, or the manager, lessee, age nt , servant,
officer, or employee of any of t hem or any other entity whi ch i s recognized by law as t h e subj ect
of rights or duties.
"Pervious" means any surface or material that allows the passage of water through the material
and into the underlying soi l.
"Plant factor" or "plant water use factor" is a factor, w he n 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 plan t s is 0 to 0.3 ; the plant factor range for moderate water
use plants i s 0.4 to 0.6; and the plant factor range for high wate r use p lants is 0.7 to 1.0. Plant
factors cited in these Guidelines are derived from the Departmen t o f Water Resou rces 2000
publicati on "Water Use Classifica tion of Landscape Species ."
"Precipitation rate" means the rate of application of water measured i n inches per h ou r.
"Project applicant" means the person submitting a Landscape Documentat ion Package required
under Section 2.1 to request a permit, plan check, or design review from t h e loca l agency . A
project applicant may be the property owner or his or her designee.
"Property owner'' or "o wner'' means the record o wn er of real property as shown on the m ost
recently issued equalized assessmen t roll.
"Reference evapotra nspiration" or "ETo " means a standard measu rem ent o f environmental
pa rameters which affect the water us e of plants. ETo is g iven expressed in inches pe r day,
month, or year as represented in Appendix C of these Guide li nes, and is an est imate of the
evapotrans piration of a large field of four to seven-inch tall , cool-season grass t hat is wel l
watered. Reference evapotranspiration is used as the basis of determinin g the Maximum Applie d
Water Allowances .
"Recycled water'' o r "reclaimed water'' means treated o r recycled waste w at er of a quality su itable
for non-potable uses such as la ndscape irrigation and water features. Thi s water is not intended
for human consumption.
"Runoff' means water which is not absorbed by the soil or landscape to which it is appl ie d and
flows from the landscape area . For example, runoff ma y resul t from water that is applied at too
great a rate (application rate exceeds infiltration rate ) or wh en there is a slope.
"Special Landscape Areas" or "SLA " means an area of the landscape dedicated sole ly to ed i ble
plants such as orchards and vegetable gardens, areas irrigated with recycled water, water
features using recycled water, and areas dedicated to active play suc h as community pools and
spas, parks, sports fiel ds , golf courses , and where turf provi des a pla yin g surface.
41
"Sprinkler head" means a device which delivers w ater through a nozzle.
"Static water pressure" means the pipeline or municipal wate r supply pressure when water is not
flowing.
"Station" means an area served by one valve or by a set of valves that operate simu lta neously.
"Swing joint" means an irrigation component that provides a lea k-free connect ion between t he
emission device and latera l pipeline to allow movement in any directio n and to prevent
equ ip ment damage.
"Turf' means a ground cover surface of mowed grass. Annua l b l uegrass, Kentuc ky b lu egrass,
Perenn ial ryegrass, Red fescue, and Tall fescue are cool-seaso n grasses. Bermudagrass,
Kikuyugrass, Seashore Paspalum , St. Augustinegrass, Zoysiagrass, and Buffalo g rass are warm -
season grasses.
"Valve" means a device used to co ntrol the flow of wa ter in an irrigation system.
"Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance" means Ordi nance No. __, adopted by the City Council
on 2009, and codified in th e Municipal Code i n [chapter/title/division/sections
"Water Efficient Landscape Worksheets" means the wo rksheets required to be comp le ted
pursuant to Sect ion 2.2 of these Guidelines and which are included in Appe n dix B h ereo f.
"Water feature" means a design element where open water performs an aesthetic or rec reational
function. Water features include ponds, lakes, waterfalls, foun ta ins, artificial streams, spas, an d
sw imming pools (whe re water is artifici ally supplied). The surface area of wa ter features i s
included i n the high w ater use hydrazone of the landscape area. Const ructed wet lands used for
on-site wastewater treatment, habitat protection, or storm wate r best man agement practices
that are not irrigated and used solely for water treatment or storm w at er retention are not water
features and , therefore, are not subject to t he water budget calcu lation.
"Watering window" means the time of day irrig ation is allowed.
"WUCOLS" means the Water Use Classification of Landscape published by the Un iv ersity of
Cal ifornia Cooperative Extension, the Department of Water Resou rces, and t he Bureau o f
Reclamation, 2000. www.owue.water.ca.gov/docsjwucolsOO
42
Appendix G: I r rigation Plan Checklist
Th is is a voluntary compliance tool template developed by the Irrigation Associat ion.
IRRIGATION PLAN CHECKLIST
Please complete the following checklist by checking all appropriate categories under APPLICANT column,
in d icating compli ance with these content requirements. Al l submitted pla n s shall con tai n t he following
in formation:
LANDSCAPE PLAN NUMBER:---------------
NAME OF PROJECT: ________________ _
Applicant
[ l 1. Prevailing winds
[ l 2. Slope aspect and degree o f slof)e
[ l 3. Soil !J'pe and infiltration rate
[ l 4. Vegeta tion type
[ l 5. Microclimates
[ l 6. Expan sive or hazardous soil conditions
[ l 7. Water h arvesting potential
[ l 8. Avail able water supp ly, includinq non-potable and recycled wa ter
All pertinent system information is indicated, including:
[ l 9. I rrig ation zones su bstantially corresponding t o hyd rozones on t he landscape
plan and labeled by precipitation rates and method of appl ication
[ l 10. Water meters
[ l 11. Tap-in locatio n
[ l 12. Static w ater pressure at the point of connection
[ l 13. System controller
[ l 14. Rain sensor/shut-off device
[ l 15 . Backflow preventers
[ l 16. Shut-off valves and zone control valves
[ l 17. Main li n e and lateral p ip ing
[ l 18. Sprinkle r head s
[ l 19 . Bubb lers and drip irrigation tubing runs
[ l 20. Type and size of main irrigation system component s
[ l 2 1 . Total requi re d operating pressure for each control va lve/zone
[ l 22. Graphic depiction of the locations of i rri gation syste m com ponents
[ l 23. Total requi red operating pressure for each contro l va lve/zone
[ l 24. Any su pplem ental stormwater and /or runoff harvesting
System des ign is in conforma nce with the fo ll owing standards:
[ l 25. Certification of Profess ional Qual ifications, attached
[ l 26. Pedestrian surfaces located on plan
[ l 27. Equ ipment i nstalled flush w ith grade for safety
[ l 28. Co mpliance with loca l codes
[ l 29 . Ove rspray onto impervious areas minimized
4 3
Planner
[ l
[ l
[ l
[ l
[ l
[ l
[ l
[ l
[ l
[ l
[ l
[ l
[ l
[ l
[ l
[ l
[ l
[ l
[ l
[ l
[ l
[ l
[ l
[ l
[ l
[ l
[ l
[ l
[ l
Jan ua ry 26, 2016
Item: 7C
FILE :
City of Temp le City
Planning Commission
Staff Repo rt
15-478
Zoning Co de Amendment
ADDRESS: Citywi de
Attachment c
DESCRIPTION: A Zon in g Code amendment to t h e Temple City Municipal Code to adopt
the Wate r Effici ent Landscape Ordin ance.
APPLICANT: City of Temple City
PROJECT PLANNER: Hesty Liu, Associat e Planner
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW: This project is exempt from t he California Envi ronmenta l Quality Act
(C EQA) purs uant to Section 15307 (Actions by Regu latory Agencies for
Protection of N atural Resou rces) of t he CEQA Guide lines.
RECOMMENDATION: Adopt t h e attached Reso lution recommending that the City Council
adopt the proposed Ordinance.
BACKGROUND:
In 2006, t h e state passe d AB 1881, known as the Water Conservation i n Landscaping Act of 2006, which
re quired that a local agency adopt a Water Effic ient Lan d scape Ordinance by January 1, 2010, or i nstitute
the Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordina nce (MWELO) by default. In response to the state mandat e,
on Febru ary 11, 2010, city staff sent a lette r t o t h e De p artment of Water Resource (DWR) ind icating that
the City woul d inst itute t h e MWELO wh ile maintaining the intention of developing a local o rdinance at a
later time.
On Apri l 1, 2015, Go ve rnor Brown issued t h e Drought Executive Ord er directing DWR to update its 2009
MWELO through exped ited regulation. As a r esult, the MWELO was re vised an d the California Water
Commiss i on approved t he rev ision on July 15, 201 5. A l ocal agency i s required to revise or adopt a local
ord inance by December 1, 2015, or the City w ill need t o comp ly with the updated MWELO (if no actio n is
taken).
The major changes between t he 2009 and the 201 5 MWE LO are summa r ized as the fol l owings :
1. Project Size Applicability: The threshold that triggers compliance has bee n lowered f rom 2,500
square feet to 50 0 sq uare feet.
January 26, 2015 Planning Com mis sio n Meeting
Staff Report -Item 7C
File: 15-478
2. Prescriptive Compliance Option: Instead of subm itti ng a detailed Landscape Documentation
Package-which i nclud es a landscape plan, detailed water usage calculations, soil and stormwater
management plans, irrigati on designs, grad ing designs, post-installation scheduling and
maintenance plans -a list of optiona l prescriptive measures are offered i n the updated MWE LO
as an project having a landscaped area between 500 square feet and 2,500 squa re feet, or for
projects using greywater.
3. Adjustments to Calculations to Increase Efficiency: The updated MWELO i ncludes new
calc ulations and factors tha t wi ll result in l ess water usage. The most notable change is the
reduction of the Evapotranspiration Adjustment Fac tor (ETAF) which h as been reduced from .70
to .55 for residential projects and .45 for non-residential projects. The reduction is likely to result
in the utilization of more effici ent irrigation systems. Additionally, the maximum area allowed for
high water use plants (e.g . cool season turf) has been reduced from 33 percent to 25 percent.
4. Irrigation Efficiency: The updated MWELO provi des clearly def ined irrigation efficiency numbers,
such as .81 for drip irrigation and .75 for overhead systems. The 2009 MWE LO provided a standard
of .71 for all irrigati on systems. These factors are used when calculating Ma ximum Total Water
Use . The 2015 MWELO requires that different irrigation efficiency factors shal l be used based on
the method of the irrigatio n (see the reference table i n the 2015 MWELO).
5. Minimum Width for Overhead Irrigation: The updated MWELO precludes the use of over h ead
irrigation for areas that are less than 10 feet in w idth; the previous standard was 8 feet.
6. Coo l Season Turf is Prohibited in Parkways.
7. Public Education: New model homes are requ ired to provide signs demonstrating the princi p l es
of water efficient landscapes.
8. Reporting: Local agenci es are required to report on their ordinance implementation and
enforcement efforts to DWR on an annual basis.
Si nce the passage of AB 1881, staff has worked on deve loping a local ordinance. The first d raft was
presented to the Planning Commission on Apri l 28, 2015 . Due to the Governor's Executive Orde r, the
proceeding was suspended to wait for the 2015 MWELO.
After the release of the 2015 MWELO , a number of cities on the San Gabrie l Valley Counc il of Gove rnments
(COG) formed a subcommittee to develop a regional ordinance or a template for the member cities. The
COG committee released the template ordinance in October of 2015. The proposed Temple City Water
Efficient Landscape Ordinance is developed based on that template with on ly minor modifications for
clarity purposes.
Page 2
January 26, 2015 Planning Commission Meeting
Staff Report-Item 7C
File: 15-478
In summary, the W ELO requires an appl icant not using the optional prescriptive standards to determine
the Estimated Total Water Use (ET W U) for a land scape area. The ETW U would not be allowed to exceed
a Maximum Appl ied Water Allowance (M AWA). The MAWA is determined by multiplying reference
evapotranspiration (a figure that represents the speed at which wa ter evaporates and plants transpire) by
an evapotranspiration factor of .55 for residenti al or .45 for commercial. The results are t hen multiplied
by the area of the landsca pe area. Areas set aside for growing of edible plants, areas irrigated w ith
recycled water, water features using recycle d water, and areas dedicated to play (e.g. parks sports fields,
golf courses) are provided additional flexibility. The use of water features and plants that are more wate r
intensive is allowed under the proposed Ordinance. The water use of these areas, though, must be
balanced with pl ants that require less water use. Th is allows owners and designers flexibility in their design
plan. In addition to the calculations demonstrating that the proposed landscape plan meets the
maximum w ater allowance, the Ordinance limits the area of turf to 25 percent or less, and prohibits the
use of overhead irrigation for area less than 10 feet in width.
ANALYSIS:
The State requires that a local ordinance must be "at least as effective" as the MWELO. To comply with
such a mandate, a local agency must provide justifications for the areas that are deviated from the
MWELO. Comparing the MWELO and the proposed Temple City Water Efficient Ord inance, staff identified
four major areas and provided justifications based upon the circ umstances of our community:
1. Separation of Ordinance and Guidelines: While codifying all regulations contained in the
MWELO as one document is acceptable, the approach of ad opting an o rd in ance supplemented
by the guidelines would have enhanced clarity. The ordinance contains the essential components
of the regulations with the technological elements and equations provided in the Guidelines.
Changes or amendments in the future can be easily made through modifying the Guidelines,
therefore avo iding th e lengthy code amendment process. Thus, t his app ro ach would meet the
State's "as least as effecti ve" criterion .
2. Self-certification: The self-certification requ irement specifies that a landscape plan shall be
p repared by a licensed landscape architect who then ce rti f ies that t he project design meets all
applicable provisions of the Ordinance. Th e requirement also specifies that the completion of the
project shall be certified according to the approved lan dsc ape and irrigation designs. As a result,
the quality of the landscape projects will be ensured by the standards of the landscaping industry
as well as the req uirements of the li ce nsing board. The pra ctice of self-certifi cation also provides
a cost-effective method for the City to review plans.
3. Irrigation Audit as an Optional Requirement (Guidelines): In Temple City, the vast majority of
the projects are small-scale residential developments includ ing house additions, single-family
residences , and small multiple-fami ly developments. Currently, all local water purveyors serving
the City have restrictions on water use (according to State Water Use Restrictions). Policies and
enforcement act as the ongoing irrigation monitoring which has the same the effect of fulfilling
Page 3
January 26, 2015 Planning Commis sion Meeti ng
Staff Report-Item 7C
File: 15-478
the goa l of w ater conservation whe n com pared to the one-ti me i rrigation audit report require d
by the MWELO . Therefore, making the Irrigation Audit an option would not affect the effectiveness
of the Temple City ordinance.
4. Land scap e Documentation Packa ge as an Optional Requirement for Any Existing Landscape
that will Be Rehabilitated with Low er Water Use Plants (Gu idelines): For sma ller construction
projects, the requirements contained in the Landscape Doc umentation Package may discourage
the homeowners to reh abilitate the existing l andscape . Given the number of such projects in the
City, the State 's approach could act as a disincentive for rehab ili tation of existing l andscapes with
low water use plants. To remove this barrier, staff reco mmends making the Landscape
Do cumentation Packag e optional when property owne rs are rehab ilitating existing landscapes
w ith low water use plants. City staff w ill make the determi nation based on the p roj ect's nature
and the circumstances. If implemented properly, such an approach wi ll enhance the effectiveness
of the ordinance for water conservation.
In essence, the proposed ordina nce is developed on the COG temp late whi ch is close ly related to the
2015 Regio nal Ordinance of O range County. The 2015 Reg ional Ordina nce of Orange County is the
revision of its 2010 ve rsion which was deemed acceptable by the state and has been implemented
throughout O range County.
The recommended Temple City Ordinance also offers improved clar ity. For instance, instead of directing
the applicant to referen ce a table for th e Annual Evapotranspiration Value (page six in t he Guide li nes),
staff si mply extracts the value from the table and spe l ls it out in the requirement. To help with a better
understanding about the use of the Water Efficient Landscape Worksheet, staff p rovi des a sample
scenario on the following page to demonstrate how the calculation shou ld be done. Both are ai m ed at
minimizing the complexity and confusion generated by the technica l terms.
FINDINGS:
TCMC Section 9-lG-0 provides that the Zoning Code may be "amended wh enever t he public interest and
necessity so require." There are no specif ic findings required to amend the Zoning Code or other titles
of the Municipal Code.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW:
This proj ect is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) accord i ng to, Section 15307
(A ct i ons Taken by Regulatory Agencies for Protection of Natura l Resources ) of the CEQA Guidel i nes.
RECOMMENDATION:
Adopt the attached Resolution recommending that the City Council adopt the proposed O rd inance.
Pa ge 4
January 26, 201 5 Plann ing Comm ission Meeting
Staff Report -Item 7C
File: 15-478
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Pla nning Commission Resolution
2. Dra ft Ordinance and Guidel ines
Page 5
ATTACHMENT 1 m
PLANNING COM M ISSION RESOLUTION •
"":'
RESOLUTION NO. 16-2466 PC
A RESOLUTION OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION OF
THE CITY OF TEMPLE CITY RECOMMENDING THAT THE
CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF TEMPLE CITY APPROVE
AN AMENDMENT TO THE TE MPLE CITY M UNICIPAL
CODE TO ADO PT THE CITY 'S WATER EFFICIENT
LANDSCAPE ORD INANCE AND GU IDELINES .
The Plann ing Commission of the City of Temple City does hereby resolve:
SECTION 1. The Planning Commission has considered all of the evidence submitted
into the administrative record wh ich includes , but is not limited to:
Staff Reports prepared by the Community Development Department;
Staff presentation at the public hearing held on January 26 , 2016 before the
P lanning Commission ;
The City of Temple City Zoning ·Code , Genera l Plan , and all other applicable
regulations and codes ;
Public comments, both wri tten and oral, received and/or submitted at or prior to
the public hearing, supporting and/or opposing the app l icant's request; and
All related documents recei ved and/or submitted at or prior to the public hearing.
SECTION 2. Based on the foregoing ev id e nce, th e Planning Commiss ion finds that:
The project is categori cally exempt from the Ca liforn ia Env ironmental Quality Act
(CEQA) accord in g to Section 15307 of the CEQA Guideli nes as the project is the
"actions taken by regulatory agenc ies as authorized by sta te law or ordinance to
assure the maintenance, restoration , or enhancem~nt of a natural resou rce ... "
Notice of the Ja nuary 26 , 2016 Planning Commission pub lic hear ings was posted
at the Civic Center.
Notice of th e Planning Commiss ion public hearing was put in the newspaper at
least ten (1 0) days prior to the hea ring .
Notice of Planning Commission public hearing included the notice requirements
set forth in Government Code Section 65009 (b)(2).
SECTION 3. Based upon information presented in the Staff Report dated January 26,
2016, and based upon a Public Hearing he ld on January 26, 2016 to consider t he
PC Resolution
Municipal Code Amend ment to adopt the Water Efficient Landscape Ord inance
Page 2 of 3 ·
proposed amendment to the Municipal Code , the Planning Commiss ion makes t he
following findings :
The Planning Commission recognizes that the Ca lifo rn ia Constitution
specifies t hat t he r ight to use wate r is limited to the amount reasonably
required for the beneficial use to be served, and th e rig ht does not and shall
not extend to waste or unreasonable method of us e of water.
The Planning Commission recognizes that th e wate rs of t he State are of
limited supply and are subject to every increasing demands; and the
continuation of Californ ia 's economic prosperity is dependent on the
ava ilability of adequate supplies of water for future us es .
The Planning Commission finds that to co mply wit h the Executive O rder
(EO B-29-15), adopting a local ordinance is cons istent with the general
welfare of the publ ic, would be in the best interest of t he community, and
would be a good city planning practi ce .
The Planning Commission finds that the proposed ordinance complies with
the in tent and stringency of the state's revised Model Water Efficient
Landscaped Ordinance (MWELO) in 2015 ; and the proposed local
ordinance is at least as effective as the state MWELO f or water
conservation .
The Planning Commission finds that the project is categorically exempt fro m
the California Environmental Qua li ty Act in accordance to Section 15307 of
the CEQA Guidelines .
The Planning Commiss ion finds that this Code amendment will prov ide the
City the -ability to systematically reg ulate the reh abilitation or inst allation of
landscape projects with a minimiz ed wa t e r use .
SECTION 4. The Planning Commission hereby recommends that the City of Temp le · Ci ty
Municipal Code be ame nd ed as shown in the proposed ordinance .
SECTION 5. Th e secretary shal l certify to the adoption of th is Resolution.
PC Resolution
Municipal Code Amendment to adopt the Water Efficient Landscape Ord in ance
Page 3 of 3
I hereby certify tha t the fo regoin g Reso lution was du ly adopted by the Planning
Comm ission of the City of Temple City at a regular meetin g held on the 26th of January,
20 16 by the following vote :
AYES:
NOES :
ABSTAIN:
ABSENT:
Commissioner-Cordes, Haddad , Leung, Marston, O'Leary
Commissioner-None
Commissioner-Non e
Commissioner-Non e Secretary~