Sec. 7D3-1. - Title and authority.
Sec. 7D3-4. - Landscape plan check.
Sec. 7D3-5. - Application fees.
Sec. 7D3-7. - Water efficient landscape standards.
Sec. 7D3-1. - Title and authority.
This chapter is and may be cited as the "Sonoma County Water Efficient Landscape Regulations." This chapter is enacted pursuant to the Water Conservation in Landscaping Act (Government Code section 65591 et seq.).
(Ord. No. 5872, § I, 12-15-2009.)
This chapter is enacted for the purpose of regulating the design, installation, and maintenance of new and rehabilitated landscapes.
(Ord. No. 5872, § I, 12-15-2009.)
A.
The provisions of this chapter shall apply to all of the following landscape projects:
1.
New and rehabilitated landscapes in multi-family residential, commercial, industrial, agricultural processing, and public agency projects requiring a building or grading permit or design review.
2.
New and rehabilitated landscapes that are developer-installed in single-family residential projects requiring a building or grading permit or design review.
3.
New and rehabilitated landscapes that are homeowner-provided and/or homeowner-hired in single-family residential projects involving new buildings or additions over four hundred (400) square feet and requiring a building or grading permit or design review, except where:
a.
The landscape area is less than five thousand (5,000) square feet;
b.
Turf is limited to no more than six hundred (600) square feet; and
c.
An irrigation system is installed and operated by a weather-based self-adjusting irrigation controller with a rain sensor.
B.
The provisions of this chapter shall not apply to any of the following:
1.
Registered local, state, or federal historical sites.
2.
Ecological restoration projects that do not require a permanent irrigation system.
3.
Mined-land reclamation projects that do not require a permanent irrigation system.
4.
Plant collections, as part of botanical gardens and arboretums open to the public.
(Ord. No. 5872, § I, 12-15-2009.)
Sec. 7D3-4. - Landscape plan check.
A.
A landscape plan check shall be required prior to commencing any construction on a landscape project subject to the provisions of this chapter.
B.
A landscape plan check application shall be filed with the department on a county application form. Each landscape plan check application shall include all required fees and/or deposits, and all plans and specifications, and other information, materials, and submittals required by the department.
C.
A landscape plan check application may only be filed by the owner or authorized agent of the owner of the subject property, or other person with the written consent of the property owner.
D.
A landscape plan check application shall be approved when the director verifies that the proposed landscape project complies with the provisions of this chapter, other applicable provisions of this code, and the conditions of any applicable land use permit or other entitlement.
(Ord. No. 5872, § I, 12-15-2009.)
Sec. 7D3-5. - Application fees.
A.
The board of supervisors shall establish a schedule of fees for the processing of landscape plan check applications.
B.
No landscape plan check application shall be deemed complete, and processing shall not commence on any landscape plan check application until all required fees and/or deposits have been paid.
(Ord. No. 5872, § I, 12-15-2009.)
Landscape projects subject to the provisions of this chapter shall be subject to inspection as required by the director to verify compliance with the approved plans. No landscape project applicant shall be deemed to have complied with the provisions of this chapter until a final inspection of the work has been completed by the director. Inspections shall not be construed to approve a violation of the provisions of this chapter or other provisions of this code. Inspections presuming to give authority to violate or cancel the provisions of this chapter or other provisions of this code shall not be valid.
(Ord. No. 5872, § I, 12-15-2009.)
Sec. 7D3-7. - Water efficient landscape standards.
All landscape projects subject to the provisions of this chapter shall comply with the following standards.
A.
Plants.
1.
Selected plants shall not cause the estimated annual applied water use to exceed the maximum applied water allowance.
2.
Plants with similar water use needs shall be grouped together in distinct hydrozones and where irrigation is required the distinct hydrozones shall be irrigated with separate valves.
a.
Low and moderate water use plants can be mixed, but the entire hydrozone shall be classified as moderate water use for maximum applied water allowance calculations.
b.
High water use plants shall not be mixed with low or moderate water use plants.
3.
All non-turf plants shall be selected, spaced, and planted appropriately based upon their adaptability to the climatic, geologic, and topographical conditions of the project site.
4.
Turf shall not be planted in the following conditions:
a.
Slopes exceeding ten (10) percent.
b.
Planting areas eight (8) feet wide or less.
c.
Street medians, traffic islands, planter strips, or bulbouts of any size.
5.
Invasive plants are prohibited.
B.
Soil amendments, conditioning, and mulching.
1.
A minimum of eight (8) inches of non-mechanically compacted soil shall be available for water absorption and root growth in planted areas.
2.
Compost or natural fertilizer shall be incorporated into the soil to a minimum depth of eight (8) inches at a minimum rate of six (6) cubic yards per one thousand (1,000) square feet, or according to specific amendment recommendations from a soils laboratory report.
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 groundcover, or direct seeding applications.
C.
Water features.
1.
Recirculating water systems shall be used for all water features.
2.
Recycled water shall be used when available on site.
D.
Irrigation systems.
1.
All irrigation systems shall be designed and installed to meet irrigation efficiency criteria as described in the maximum applied water allowance.
2.
A dedicated irrigation meter or sub-meter shall be required.
3.
Irrigation systems with meters one and one-half (1.5) inches or greater shall have a high-flow sensor that can detect high flow conditions and have the capability to shut off the irrigation system automatically.
4.
Isolation valves shall be installed at the point of connection and before each valve or valve manifold.
5.
Weather-based self-adjusting irrigation controllers with rain sensors shall be required.
6.
Pressure regulation and/or booster pumps shall be installed so that all components of the irrigation system operate at the manufacturer's recommended optimal pressure.
7.
Irrigation systems shall be designed to prevent runoff or overspray onto non-targeted areas.
8.
Point source irrigation is required where plant height at maturity will affect the uniformity of an overhead system.
9.
A twenty-four-inch setback of overhead irrigation shall be required where turf is directly adjacent to a continuous hardscape that flows into the curb and gutter.
10.
Slopes greater than fifteen (15) percent shall be irrigated with point source or other low-volume irrigation technology.
11.
Separate valves shall be used to irrigate hydrozones with high water use plants and moderate or low water use plants.
12.
Trees shall be placed on separate valves except when planted in turf areas.
13.
Sprinkler heads, rotors, and other emission devices on one valve shall have matched precipitation rates.
14.
Head to head coverage shall be required unless otherwise directed by the manufacturer's specifications.
15.
Swing joints or other riser protection components shall be required on all risers.
16.
Check valves shall be installed to prevent low-head drainage.
(Ord. No. 5872, § I, 12-15-2009.)
As used in this chapter, the following terms and phrases shall have the meanings ascribed to them in this section, unless the context in which they are used clearly requires otherwise. The definition of a term or phrase applies to any of that term's or phrase's variants.
"Building permit" means any building permit under Chapter 7 of this code.
"Booster pump" means a pump used where the normal water system pressure is low and needs to be increased.
"California Invasive Plant Inventory" means the California Invasive Plant Inventory maintained by the California Invasive Plant Council.
"Check valve" means a valve located under a sprinkler head, or other location in the irrigation system, to hold water in the system to prevent drainage from sprinkler heads when the sprinkler is off.
"Compost" means the decayed remains of organic matter that has rotted into a natural fertilizer.
"Department" means the permit and resource management department.
"Design review" means any design review under Chapter 26 or 26C of this code.
"Director" means the director of the permit and resource management department or his or her authorized representative.
"Ecological restoration project" means a project where the site is intentionally altered to establish a defined, indigenous, historic ecosystem.
"ET adjustment factor" means, except for special landscape areas, a factor of 0.6, that, when applied to reference evapotranspiration, adjusts for plant factors and irrigation efficiency. The ET adjustment factor for special landscape areas shall not exceed 1.0.
"Flow rate" means the rate at which water flows through pipes, valves, and emission devices, measured in gallons per minute, gallons per hour, or cubic feet per second.
"Grading permit" means any grading permit under Chapter 11 of this code.
"Hardscape" means any durable material (pervious and non-pervious).
"Head to head coverage" means full coverage from one sprinkler head to the next.
"High-flow sensor" means a device for sensing the rate of fluid flow.
"High water use plant" mean any plant categorized as high water need by the water use classification of landscape species guide.
"Hydrozone" means a portion of the landscape area having plants with similar water needs that are served by a valve or set of valves with the same schedule.
"Invasive plant" means any plant listed on the California Invasive Plant Inventory.
"Irrigation efficiency" means the measurement of the amount of water beneficially used divided by the amount of water applied. Irrigation efficiency is derived from measurements and estimates of irrigation system characteristics and management practices. The minimum average irrigation efficiency for purposes of this chapter is 0.71.
"Irrigation meter" means a separate meter that measures the amount of water used for items such as lawns, washing exterior surfaces, washing vehicles, or filling pools.
"Isolation valve" means a valve used to isolate a portion of the piping system.
"Landscape area" means the dedicated landscape area on a property. Water features are included in the calculation of the landscape area. Areas dedicated to agricultural cultivation are not included. The landscape area does not include footprints of buildings or structures, sidewalks, driveways, parking lots, decks, patios, gravel or stone walks, other pervious or non-pervious hardscapes, and other nonirrigated areas designated for non-development (e.g., open spaces and existing native vegetation).
"Land use permit" means any ministerial or discretionary permit or approval granted by the county pursuant to Chapter 26 or 26C of this code to use a specific site for a particular purpose.
"Low-head drainage" means water that flows out of the system after the valve turns off due to elevation changes within the system.
"Low water use plant" means any plant categorized as low water need by the water use classification of landscape species guide.
"Maximum applied water allowance" means the upper limit of annual applied water for the established landscape area. It is based upon the area's reference evapotranspiration, the ET adjustment factor, and the size of the landscape area. The estimated total water use shall not exceed the maximum applied water allowance
"Mined-land reclamation project" means any surface mining operation with a reclamation plan approved in accordance with Chapter 26A of this code.
"Moderate water use plant" means any plant categorized as moderate water need by the water use classification of landscape species guide.
"Mulch" means any organic material such as leaves, bark, straw, compost or inorganic mineral materials such as rocks, gravel, and decomposed granite left loose and applied to the soil surface for the beneficial purposes of reducing evaporation, suppressing weeds, moderating soil temperature and preventing soil erosion.
"New landscape" means any new landscaping project.
"Non-pervious" means any surface or material that does not allow the passage of water through the material and into the underlying soil.
"Overhead irrigation" means systems that deliver water through the air (e.g., pop-ups, impulse sprinklers, spray heads, rotors, micro-sprays, etc).
"Overspray" means the irrigation water that is delivered beyond the landscape area, wetting pavements, walks, structures, or other non-landscaped areas.
"Pervious" means any surface or material that allows the passage of water through the material and into the underlying soil.
"Plant factor" means a factor that, when multiplied by reference evapotranspiration, estimates the amount of water used by needed plants. Plant factors cited in this chapter are derived from the department of water resources 2000 publication "Water Use Classification of Landscape Species."
"Precipitation rate" means the rate of application of water measured in inches per hour.
"Point of connection" means the point at which an irrigation system taps into the main water supply line.
"Point source irrigation" means any non-spray low volume irrigation system utilizing emission devices with a flow rate measured in gallons per hour. Low volume irrigation systems are specifically designed to apply small volumes of water slowly at or near the root zone of plants.
"Pressure regulation" means a valve that automatically reduces the pressure in a pipe.
"Rain sensor" means a system component that automatically shuts off and suspends the irrigation system when it rains.
"Recycled water" means non-potable water that meets California Department of Public Health statewide uniform criteria for disinfected tertiary recycled water. Recycled water is also known as reclaimed water.
"Reference evapotranspiration" means a standard measurement of environmental parameters that affect the water use of plants, and is an estimate of the evapotranspiration of a large field of four- to seven-inch tall, cool-season grass that is well watered.
"Rehabilitated landscape" means any re-landscaping project.
"Runoff" means water that is not absorbed by the soil or landscape to which it is applied and flows from the landscape area.
"Soils laboratory report" means the analysis of a soil sample to determine nutrient content, composition, and other characteristics, including contaminants.
"Special landscape area" means an area of the landscape dedicated solely to edible plants, areas irrigated with recycled water, water features using recycled water, and areas dedicated active play such as parks, sports fields, golf courses, where turf provides the playing surface.
"Sprinkler head" means a device that delivers water through a nozzle.
"Swing joint" means an irrigation component that provides a flexible, leak-free connection between the emission device and lateral pipeline to allow movement in any direction and to prevent equipment damage.
"Valve" means a device used to control the flow of water in the irrigation system.
"Valve manifold" means a one-piece manifold for use in a sprinkler valve assembly that includes an intake pipe having a water inlet and a plurality of ports adapted for fluid connection to inlets.
"Water feature" means a design element where open water performs an aesthetic or recreational function. Water features include ponds, lakes, waterfalls, fountains, artificial streams, spas, and swimming pools (where water is artificially supplied). The surface area of water features is included in the high water use hydrozone of the landscape area.
"Weather-based self-adjusting irrigation controller" means a system component that uses local weather and landscape conditions to automatically adjust irrigation schedules to actual conditions on the site or historical weather data.
"Water use classification of landscape species guide" means the water use classification of landscape species guide published by the University of California Cooperative Extension, the department of water resources, and the bureau of reclamation, as it currently exists or may be amended in the future.
(Ord. No. 5872, § I, 12-15-2009.)
FOOTNOTE(S):
(66) Editor's note— Ord. No. 5872, § I, adopted December 15, 2009, amended the Code by adding Ch. 7D3. § III reads: (Back)
(66) "The provisions of Section I of this ordinance are intended to supercede and replace Section 26-88-110 of the Sonoma County Code (Low Water Use Landscaping). The Director of the Permit and Resource Management Department is directed to initiate proceedings to repeal Section 26-88-110 of the Sonoma County Code. Until repealed, Section 26-88-1l0 of the Sonoma County Code shall be inoperative." (Back)