(1) Date.

(2) Project applicant.

(3) Project address (if available, parcel and/or lot number(s)).

(4) Total landscape area (square feet), including a breakdown of turf and plant material.

(5) Project type (e.g., new, rehabilitated, public, private, cemetery, homeowner-installed).

(6) Water supply type (e.g., potable, recycled, well) and identify the local retail water purveyor if the applicant is not served by a private well.

(7) Contact information for the project applicant and property owner.

(8) Applicant signature and date with statement, "I agree to comply with the requirements of the prescriptive compliance option to the Landscape Water Use Efficiency Standards."

(1) For residential areas, install climate-adapted plants that require occasional, little or no summer water (average WUCOLS plant factor 0.3) for eighty percent of the plant area excluding edibles and areas using recycled water; for nonresidential areas, install climate-adapted plants that require occasional, little or no summer water (average WUCOLS plant factor 0.3) for one hundred percent of the plant area excluding edibles and areas using recycled water.

(2) A minimum three-inch 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.

(1) Turf shall not exceed twenty percent of the landscape area in residential areas, and there shall be no turf in nonresidential areas.

(2) Turf shall not be planted on sloped areas which exceed a slope of one foot vertical elevation change for every four feet of horizontal length.

(3) Turf is prohibited in parkways less than ten feet wide, unless the parkway is adjacent to a parking strip and used to enter and exit vehicles. Any turf in parkways must be irrigated by sub-surface irrigation or by other technology which creates no overspray or runoff.

(1) Automatic irrigation controllers are required and must use evapotranspiration or soil moisture sensor data and utilize a rain sensor.

(2) Irrigation controllers shall be of a type which does not lose programming data in the event the primary power source is interrupted.

(3) Pressure regulators shall be installed on the irrigation system to ensure the dynamic pressure of the system is within the manufacturer’s recommended pressure range.

(4) 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.

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

(6) Areas less than ten feet in width in any direction shall be irrigated with subsurface irrigation or other means that produces no runoff or overspray.

(1) For the purpose of determining ETWU, average irrigation efficiency is assumed to be 0.75 for overhead spray devices and 0.81 for drip system devices.

(2) In calculating the MAWA and ETWU, a project applicant shall use the ETo values from the Reference Evapotranspiration Table below:

(1) The plant factor used shall be from WUCOLS or from horticultural researchers with academic institutions or professional associations as approved by the California Department of Water Resources (DWR). The plant factor ranges from 0 to 0.1 for very low water using plants, 0.1 to 0.3 for low water use plants, from 0.4 to 0.6 for moderate water use plants, and from 0.7 to 1.0 for high water use plants.

(2) All water features shall be included in the high water use hydrozone and temporarily irrigated areas shall be included in the low water use hydrozone.

(3) All special landscape areas shall be identified and their water use calculated.

(4) ETAF for new and existing (nonrehabilitated) special landscape areas shall not exceed 1.0.

(5) The surface area of water features is included in the high water use hydrozone of the landscape area. Constructed wetlands used for on-site wastewater treatment or stormwater best management practices that are not irrigated and used solely for water treatment or stormwater retention are not water features and, therefore, are not subject to the water budget calculation.

(1) The soil analysis shall include soil texture, infiltration rate determined by laboratory test or soil-infiltration rate table, pH, total soluble salts, sodium, percent organic matter, and recommendations.

(2) In projects with multiple landscape installations (e.g., production home developments), a soil-sampling rate of at least fifteen percent of the lots will satisfy this requirement.

(1) If significant mass grading is not planned, the soil analysis report shall be submitted to the city as part of the landscape documentation package; or

(2) If significant mass grading is planned, the soil analysis report shall be submitted to the city as part of the certificate of completion.

(1) Methods to achieve water efficiency shall include the following: invasive species as listed by the California Invasive Plant Council are prohibited; selection of water-conserving plant, tree and turf species, especially local native plants; selection of plants based on local climate suitability, disease and pest resistance; selection of trees based on shading and size at maturity as appropriate for the planting area; and selection of plants from local and regional landscape program plant lists.

(2) Plants with similar water needs shall be grouped together in distinct hydrozones and where irrigation is required the distinct hydrozones shall be irrigated with separate valves.

(3) High water use plants shall not be mixed with very low, low or moderate water use plants in the same hydrozone.

(4) Plants shall be selected and planted appropriately based upon their adaptability to the climatic, geologic, and topographical conditions of the project site. Methods to achieve water efficiency shall include one or more of the following: use the Sunset Western Climate Zone System which takes into account temperature, humidity, elevation, terrain, latitude, and varying degrees of continental and marine influence on local climate; recognize the horticultural attributes of plants (i.e., mature plant size, invasive surface roots) to minimize damage to property or infrastructure (e.g., buildings, sidewalks, power lines); allow for adequate soil volume for healthy root growth; and consider the solar orientation for plant placement to maximize summer shade and winter solar gain.

(5) Turf and high water use plants characterized by a plant factor of 0.7 to 1.0 shall not be planted in the following conditions: slopes exceeding ten percent; street medians, traffic islands, planter strips or bulbouts of any size.

(6) Turf shall not be used in planting areas ten feet wide or less.

(7) High water use plants including turf shall occupy no more than a combined twenty percent of the total irrigated landscaped area in residential landscape projects. High water use plants including turf are limited to special landscape areas for all nonresidential landscape projects.

(8) The architectural guidelines of a common interest development, which include community apartment projects, condominiums, planned developments, and stock cooperatives, shall not prohibit or include conditions that have the effect of prohibiting the use of low-water use plants as a group.

(9) Landscape design shall be in compliance with Chapter 8.28, Heritage and Landmark Trees.

(1) Recirculating water systems shall be used for water features.

(2) Where available, recycled water shall be used as a source for decorative water features.

(3) Surface area of a water feature shall be included in the high water use hydrozone area of the water budget calculation.

(4) Pool and spa covers are required.

(1) Soil amendments shall be incorporated according to recommendations of the soil report and what is appropriate for the plants selected.

(2) For landscape installations, compost at a rate of a minimum of four cubic yards per one thousand square feet of permeable area shall be incorporated to a depth of six inches into the soil or per specific amendment recommendations from a soils report. Soils with greater than six percent organic matter in the top six inches of soil are exempt from adding compost and tilling.

(3) A minimum three-inch 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. To provide habitat for beneficial insects and other wildlife, up to five percent of the landscape area may be left without mulch. Designated insect habitat must be included in the landscape design plan as such.

(1) Delineate and label each hydrozone by number, letter, or other method.

(2) Identify each hydrozone as very low, low, moderate, high water, or mixed water use. Temporarily irrigated areas of the landscape shall be included in the low water use hydrozone for the water budget calculation.

(3) Identify recreational areas.

(4) Identify areas permanently and solely dedicated to edible plants.

(5) Identify areas irrigated with recycled water.

(6) Identify type of mulch and application depth.

(7) Identify soil amendments, type, and quantity.

(8) Identify type and surface area of water features.

(9) Identify hardscapes (pervious and nonpervious).

(10) Identify new and existing trees, shrubs, groundcovers, turf and any other planting areas.

(11) Identify plant sizes and quantity.

(12) Identify plants by botanical name and common name.

(13) Identify property lines, new and existing building footprints, streets, driveways, sidewalks, and other hardscape features (pervious and nonpervious).

(14) Identify location and installation details of any applicable stormwater best management practices that encourage on-site retention and infiltration of stormwater.

(15) Identify any applicable rain harvesting or catchment technologies.

(16) Identify any applicable graywater discharge piping, system components and area(s) of distribution.

(17) Contain the following statement: "I have complied with the criteria of the ordinance and applied them for the efficient use of water in the landscape design plan."

(18) Bear the signature of a licensed landscape architect, licensed landscape contractor, or any other person authorized to design a landscape. (See Sections 5500.1, 5615, 5641, 5641.1, 5641.2, 5641.3, 5641.4, 5641.5, 5641.6, 6701, 7027.5 of the Business and Professions Code, Section 832.27 of Title 16 of the California Code of Regulations, and Section 6721 of the Food and Agriculture Code.)

(1) For the efficient use of water, an irrigation system shall meet all the requirements listed in this section and the manufacturers’ recommendations. The irrigation system and its related components shall be planned and designed to allow for proper installation, management, and maintenance.

(2) Landscape water meters, defined as either a dedicated water service meter or private submeter, shall be installed for all multi-family residential landscape, nonresidential landscape and all residential irrigated landscapes of five thousand square feet or greater.

(3) Automatic irrigation controllers utilizing either evapotranspiration or soil moisture sensor data utilizing nonvolatile memory shall be required for irrigation scheduling in all irrigation systems.

(4) Pressure regulating devices shall be installed to ensure the dynamic pressure at each emission device is within the manufacturer’s recommended pressure range for optimal performance.

(5) Pressure regulating devices such as inline pressure regulators, booster pumps, or other devices shall be installed to meet the required dynamic pressure of the irrigation system.

(6) Static water pressure, dynamic or operating pressure, and flow reading of the water supply 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 available at the design stage, the measurements shall be conducted at installation.

(7) Sensors (rain, freeze, wind, etc.), either integral or auxiliary, that suspend or alter irrigation operation during unfavorable weather conditions shall be required on all irrigation systems, as appropriate for local climatic conditions. Irrigation should be avoided during windy or freezing weather or during rain.

(8) Manual shut-off valves (such as a gate valve, ball valve, or butterfly valve) shall be required, as close as possible to the point of connection of the water supply, to minimize water loss in case of an emergency (such as a main line break) or routine repair.

(9) Backflow prevention devices shall be required to protect the water supply from contamination by the irrigation system.

(10) Flow sensors that detect high flow conditions created by system damage or malfunction are required for all nonresidential landscapes and residential landscapes of five thousand square feet or larger.

(11) Master shut-off valves are required on all projects except landscapes that make use of technologies that allow for the individual control of sprinklers that are individually pressurized in a system equipped with low pressure shut down features.

(12) Isolation valves shall be installed at the point of connection and before each valve or valve manifold.

(13) The irrigation system shall be designed to prevent runoff, low head drainage, overspray, or other similar conditions where irrigation water flows onto nontargeted areas, such as adjacent property, nonirrigated areas, hardscapes, roadways, or structures.

(14) Relevant information from the soil management plan, such as soil type and infiltration rate, shall be utilized when designing irrigation systems.

(15) The design of the irrigation system shall conform to the hydrozones of the landscape design plan.

(16) The irrigation system must be designed and installed to meet, at a minimum, the irrigation efficiency criteria regarding the MAWA.

(17) All irrigation emission devices must meet the requirements set in the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standard, American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers’/International Code Council’s (ASABE/ICC) 802-2014 "Landscape Irrigation Sprinkler and Emitter Standard." All sprinkler heads installed in the landscape must document a distribution uniformity low quarter of 0.65 or higher using the protocol defined in ASABE/ICC 802-2014.

(18) The project applicant shall inquire with the local water purveyor about peak water operating demands (on the water supply system) or water restrictions that may impact the effectiveness of the irrigation system.

(19) In mulched planting areas, the use of low volume irrigation is required to maximize water infiltration into the root zone.

(20) Sprinkler heads and other emission devices shall have matched precipitation rates, unless otherwise directed by the manufacturer’s recommendations.

(21) Head-to-head coverage is required unless otherwise directed by the manufacturer’s recommendations. Sprinkler spacing shall be designed to achieve the highest possible distribution uniformity.

(22) Swing joints or other riser-protection components are required on all risers.

(23) Check valves or anti-drain valves are required on all sprinkler heads where low point drainage could occur.

(24) Areas less than ten feet in width in any direction shall be irrigated with subsurface irrigation or other means that produces no runoff or overspray.

(25) Overhead irrigation shall not be permitted within twenty-four inches of any nonpermeable surface. Allowable irrigation within the setback from nonpermeable surfaces may include drip, drip line, or other low flow nonspray technology. The setback area may be planted or unplanted. The surfacing of the setback may be mulch, gravel, or other porous material. These restrictions may be modified if: The landscape area is adjacent to permeable surfacing and no runoff occurs; or the adjacent nonpermeable surfaces are designed and constructed to drain entirely to landscaping; or the irrigation designer specifies an alternative design or technology, as part of the landscape documentation package and clearly demonstrates strict adherence to irrigation system design criteria. Prevention of overspray and runoff must be confirmed during the irrigation audit.

(26) Slopes greater than fifteen percent shall be irrigated with point source or other low-volume irrigation technology. Prevention of runoff and erosion must be confirmed during the irrigation audit.

(27) Point source irrigation is required where plant height at maturity will affect the uniformity of an overhead system.

(1) Each valve shall irrigate a hydrozone with similar site, slope, sun exposure, soil conditions, and plant materials with similar water use.

(2) Sprinkler heads and other emission devices shall be selected based on what is appropriate for the plant type within that hydrozone.

(3) Trees shall be placed on separate valves from shrubs, groundcovers, and turf to facilitate the appropriate irrigation of trees. The mature size and extent of the root zone shall be considered when designing irrigation for the tree.

(4) Individual hydrozones that mix plants of moderate and low water use, or moderate and high water use, may be allowed if: plant factor calculation is based on the proportions of the respective plant water uses and their plant factor; or the plant factor of the higher water using plant is used for calculations.

(5) Individual hydrozones that mix high and low water use plants shall not be permitted.

(6) On the landscape design plan and irrigation design plan, hydrozone areas shall be designated by number, letter, or other designation.

(7) The landscape design plan shall include a hydrozone table listing each hydrozone and the respective description, plant factor, irrigation method, landscape area in square feet, and percent of total landscape area.

(1) Location and size of separate water meters for landscape.

(2) Location and size of irrigation system point of connection.

(3) Location, type and size of all components of the irrigation system, including controllers, main and lateral lines, master valves, valves, sprinkler heads and other application devices, moisture-sensing devices, rain sensors, check valves, quick couplers, flow sensors, pressure regulators, and backflow-prevention devices.

(4) Designate the areas irrigated by each valve, and assign a number to each valve.

(5) Static water pressure at the point of connection to the public water supply.

(6) Flow rate (gallons per minute), application rate (inches per hour), and design operating pressure (pressure per square inch) for each station.

(7) Recycled water irrigation systems (if applicable).

(8) The hydrozone table.

(9) The following statement: "I have complied with the criteria of the ordinance and applied them accordingly for the efficient use of water in the irrigation design plan"; and

(10) The signature of a licensed landscape architect, certified irrigation designer, licensed landscape contractor, or any other person authorized to design an irrigation system. (See Sections 5500.1, 5615, 5641, 5641.1, 5641.2, 5641.3, 5641.4, 5641.5, 5641.6, 6701, 7027.5 of the Business and Professions Code, Section 832.27 of Title 16 of the California Code of Regulations, and Section 6721 of the Food and Agricultural Code.)

(1) Height of graded slopes.

(2) Drainage patterns.

(3) Pad elevations.

(4) Finish grade.

(5) Stormwater retention improvements, if applicable.

(1) That all irrigation and normal rainfall remains within property lines and does not drain onto nonpermeable hardscapes.

(2) Avoids disruption of natural drainage patterns and undisturbed soil.

(3) Avoids soil compaction in landscape areas.

(1) Irrigation scheduling shall be regulated by automatic irrigation controllers.

(2) For implementation of the irrigation schedule, particular attention must be paid to irrigation run times, emission device, flow rate, and current reference evapotranspiration, so that applied water meets the ETWU. Total annual applied water shall be less than or equal to MAWA. Actual irrigation schedules shall be regulated by automatic irrigation controllers using current reference evapotranspiration data or soil moisture sensor data.

(3) Parameters used to set the automatic controller shall be developed and submitted for each of the following:

(4) Each     irrigation schedule shall consider for each station all of the following that apply:

(1) Landscapes shall be maintained to ensure water use efficiency.

(2) The schedule shall include, but not be limited to, routine inspection; auditing, adjustment and repair of the irrigation system and its components; aerating and dethatching turf areas; topdressing with compost, replenishing mulch; fertilizing; pruning; weeding in all landscape areas; and removing any obstructions to emission devices.

(3) Operation of the irrigation system outside the normal watering window is allowed for auditing and system maintenance.

(4) Repair of all irrigation equipment shall be done with the originally installed components or their equivalents or with components with greater efficiency.

(5) An irrigation maintenance schedule timeline that includes routine inspections, adjustments and repairs to the irrigation system, aerating and dethatching turf areas, replenishing mulch, fertilizing, pruning and weeding.

(1) Operating pressure of the irrigation system.

(2) Distribution uniformity of overhead irrigation.

(3) Precipitation rate of overhead irrigation.

(4) Report of any overspray or broken irrigation equipment.

(5) Irrigation schedule: plant establishment irrigation schedule and regular irrigation schedule by month that includes plant type, root depth, soil type, slope factor, shade factor, irrigation interval, irrigation runtimes, number of start times per irrigation day, gallons per minute for each valve, precipitation rate, distribution uniformity and monthly estimated water use calculations.

(6) Verification that a diagram of the irrigation plan showing hydrozones is kept with the irrigation controller for subsequent management purposes.

(7) All landscape irrigation audits shall be conducted by a certified landscape irrigation auditor. Landscape audits shall not be conducted by the person who designed the landscape or installed the landscape.

(8) In large projects or projects with multiple landscape installations an auditing rate of fifteen percent is required.