AGENDA REPORT Meeting of the San Marcos City Council MEETING DATE: August 12, 2014 SUBJECT: Water Conservation Efforts by the City of San Marcos Recommendation Note and file. Staff will make a brief presentation and address any questions. Board or Commission Action The Planning Commission reviewed and recommended the San Marcos Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance and the water wise policies contained in the updated General Plan. Relevant Council Strategic Theme Good Governance Relevant Department Goal Not applicable. Introduction The Council requested that staff report on current City water conservation efforts, those put into effect in response to the recent State drought restrictions and planned conservation efforts. A request was also made to report on City practices and policies related to controlling irrigation runoff from landscaped areas in the City and reducing irrigation demand on those spaces going forward. This report addresses those requests for information. Discussion 1. Current water conservation practices: High efficiency (H.E.) sprinklers H.E. sprinklers provide precise, even watering. Multi-trajectory, rotating streams apply water more slowly and uniformly to the landscape, encouraging healthy plant growth. # 10.1
This increased efficiency results in 30% less water use when compared to traditional sprays and significantly reduces wasteful runoff. Since 2010, The Public Works Department has retrofitted approximately 3300 conventional spray heads with H.E. nozzles, all paid with grant funds. Drip irrigation Drip irrigation is a targeted, intelligent application of water, that when used properly can provide great benefits. Per the City of San Marcos Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance, all new median and parkway landscapes are being installed using drip irrigation. While H.E. sprinkler systems are around 70-80% efficient, drip systems typically are 90% efficient, or higher. Approximately 1/3 of city maintained landscape areas currently utilize drip irrigation. Irrigation water audits Per the San Marcos Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance, certified water audits are required prior to the acceptance of public space landscaping projects. This includes City-sponsored capital improvement projects and land development projects that dedicate public rights-of-way, parks or plazas. The Public Works Department has four (4) Certified Landscape Irrigation Auditors on staff. Certified staff are now performing water audits in City-maintained landscaped areas and parks for improved irrigation efficiency. Drought tolerant plant material Native and/or drought tolerant plant materials are being used extensively in new public space landscaping projects. Plant selection includes species such as: Agave hybrid 'Blue Glow', Agave hybrid 'Blue Flame', Cypress Blue Flax Lily Tangerine Beauty', California Meadow Sedge, Chilean Mesquite 'Thornless' and Chinese Pistache 'Sierra Gold'. Recent project examples include the Montiel Park expansion; Tiger Way and Autumn Drive in the Richmar area; Buelow, Sunset and Connors Parks (other than the turf areas); the Barham Drive Urban Trail (along the CSUSM frontage); Campus Way (next to the Quad) and medians on South Rancho Santa Fe Road. Weather-Based Smart Irrigation Controllers Smart controllers receive data remotely from centralized weather stations throughout the day, and self-adjust based on hourly weather information and save water by making real-time adjustments to the irrigation schedule. Water savings of 20 50% over traditional time based irrigation control have been achieved. A rain interruption feature on smart controllers prevents irrigation during rain events. # 10.2
City of San Marcos landscape specifications require that smart controllers be used on new public and commercial landscape installation projects. The Public Works Department is continuing to retrofit existing controllers with weatherbased irrigation controllers. Since 2012, twenty-one (21) existing controllers have been replaced with smart controllers citywide, all paid with grant funds. All active community parks are irrigated using the Rainbird Maxicom central system, which allows for more water efficient irrigation control remotely. City buildings and facilities 40 of 150 lavatory faucets in City buildings have been retrofitted by Real Property Services with low flow automatic faucets, which use 50-70% less water. Low-flow urinals are utilized at City Hall, Civic Center, Public Works and all four fire stations. Lower flow toilets have been installed in several locations as older toilets have needed replacement. Rain barrels The Public Works Stormwater Division, in partnership with the Vallecitos Water District, has provided three seminars on the benefits of collecting residential rainwater runoff for use in landscape irrigation. Interested parties were provided a rain barrel at no cost. 2. Water conservation measures put in place due to drought restrictions: Fountains and splash pads All five splash pads have been shut off at the following parks until further notice: Sunset, Buelow, San Elijo, Mulberry and Lakeside (Discovery Lake) Parks. The two fountains at City Hall have been shut off until further notice. The fountain at Woodland Park pond has not been shut off. That fountain is an integral to maintaining the pond water quality, is fed by well water and the pond water is recirculated as the supply for the irrigation of the park landscape (see next section). City owned parks and public spaces Irrigation of all City-owned or managed spaces (including landscaped areas in Community Facilities Districts (CFDs) or Landscape Maintenance Districts (LMDs), parks, street medians, trails and street parkways) has been reduced by 20%. This includes all areas supplied by City-owned groundwater wells. Evidence of plant and turf stress will be observed but staff does not expect to lose any plant material as a result. This includes Woodland Park, which means the pond will be recirculated 20% less. # 10.3
3. Planned water conservation efforts: Street medians, parkways and Real Property Services maintained facilities (such as City-owned affordable housing landscapes) will be systematically upgraded, as budgets allow, to install drip irrigation and native and/or drought tolerant plant material. The older, less efficient areas will be targeted first and attention will be paid to assure compatibility with adjacent landscape architecture. The Town Center turf grass medians and parkways along San Marcos Boulevard will be converted to a drought tolerant meadow grass landscape with permeable edge treatments and drip irrigation using Prop 50 grant funds. Other medians and parkway spray irrigation will be converted to H.E. sprinklers and/or smart controllers as grant funds are available, until such time as they can be converted to drip irrigation. Some landscaped areas funded through CFDs will be gradually be converted to more efficient irrigation components and native/drought tolerant plant materials as funding is available within those individual CFD zones and/or those components need replacement. Over the next two years Real Property Services plans to replace the remaining 110 lavatory faucets with automatic shutoff/low flow faucets, install low-flow shower heads and aerators at all fire stations and Public Works and install time-controlled showers at other select facilities. Public Works will interconnect a high-producing well with a lower producing well at Walnut Grove Park to reduce our use of domestic water for turf irrigation. The Public Works Stormwater Division will soon begin a program that educates residents on the requirements of the new municipal stormwater permit specifically as it relates to irrigation runoff (see attached memo also). 4. Irrigation runoff management policies and landscape standards: The attached memo provides more information on this request, specifically regarding implementation of the City s Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance, the intent of the updated City General Plan and the new regional municipal stormwater permit requirements issued by the San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board. Fiscal Impact One-time costs will be necessary to continue upgrades of irrigation systems, landscape plant materials and plumbing fixtures. A small portion of those costs can be absorbed by existing operating budgets and staff will always apply for grants when available. Upgrades and modifications to Real Property Services facilities are estimated to total $150,000. Some short-term and ongoing cost savings are to be expected with less cost for purchasing domestic water and less pumping costs for City-owned wells. Longer-term savings, assuming many water use reductions remain in place, will likely be offset by anticipated increases in domestic water costs and electric rates for pump operations. # 10.4
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With the exception of ornamental shade trees, use water-efficient landscapes with native, drought-resistant species in all public spaces and commercial landscaping. Use water-efficient turf in parks and other turf-dependent spaces. Install water-efficient irrigation systems and devices, such as soil moisture-based irrigation controls. Consider restricting watering methods (e.g., prohibit systems that apply water to nonvegetated surfaces) and control runoff. Our practices are and will be consistent with Order No. R9-2013-0001 (Order) of the California Regional Water Quality Control Board (Regional Board), San Diego Section, which implements federal regulations governing discharges to the MS4 systems in San Diego County. Included in the many limitations is a new, specific requirement treating irrigation runoff to the MS4 as an illicit discharge and requiring the City, as one of the Committees, to regulate and enforce prohibitions against such irrigation runoff. The following is from the Fact Sheet / Technical Report contained within the Order: non-storm water discharges associated with over-irrigation are a source of pollutants and should be addressed as illicit discharges to the MS4. Prohibiting non-storm water discharges associated with over-irrigation, however, is not a new requirement for the Committees because it is also consistent with and required by the Water Conservation in Landscaping Act (AB 1881, Laird). The Water Conservation in Landscaping Act required the Department of Water Resources (DWR) to prepare a Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance for use by local agencies (e.g. the Committees). All local agencies were required to adopt a water efficient landscape ordinance by January 1, 2010. Local agencies could adopt the Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance developed by DWR, or an ordinance considered at least as effective as the Model Ordinance. The Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance includes a requirement that local agencies prohibit runoff from irrigation ( 493.2): Local agencies shall prevent water waste resulting from inefficient landscape irrigation by prohibiting runoff from leaving the target landscape [emphasis added] due to low head drainage, overspray, or other similar conditions where water flows onto adjacent property, non-irrigated areas, walks, roadways, parking lots, or structures. Penalties for violation of these prohibitions shall be established locally. Furthermore, non-storm water discharges from over-irrigation not only transport and discharge pollutants to receiving waters, but are also a likely source of the dry weather # 10.7
flows causing changes to habitat within and along the receiving water bodies. Examples of habitat changes from the dry weather flows include perennialization of ephemeral streams, and conversion of saltwater and brackish water marsh habitats to freshwater marsh habitats (e.g. Los Penasquitos Lagoon). Both of these examples have resulted in the promotion of invasive species in several areas of the San Diego Region. The removal of the over-irrigation discharges categories does not require the Committees to strictly prohibit lawn and landscape irrigation, but does require the prohibition of excessive irrigation water that results in non-storm water discharges to the MS4. Non-storm water discharges to the MS4 from over-irrigation must be addressed as illicit discharges by the Committees pursuant to the requirements of Provision E.2. of the Order. Regarding the requirement to enact prohibitions of excess runoff from existing landscaped areas and establish penalties, City staff will work with the other Committees, water purveyors and the Regional Board staff to develop local regulations. Staff feels these regulations should be consistent across the region, strive to first achieve voluntary compliance through a robust public outreach effort and only implement financial penalties as a last resort. Regarding new or rehabilitated landscaped areas compliance with AB 1881, the Water Conservation in Landscaping Act, the City adopted a compliant version of the Model Ordinance within Title 20 of the City s Zoning Ordinance (Ordinance). This is found in Chapter 20.330 titled Water Efficient Landscape Standards. The following are key provisions within the Ordinance, among many other related provisions such as overall irrigation efficiency and use of droughttolerant plants, which specifically address reduction of landscape irrigation runoff: Section 20.330.070, Paragraph F, Irrigation Design Plan: 7. 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, non-irrigated areas, landscapes, roadways, or structures. 18. Overhead irrigation shall not be permitted within twenty-four (24) inches of any non-permeable surface. Allowable irrigation within the setback from a nonpermeable surface may include drip, drip line, or other low flow non-spray 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: # 10.8
a. The landscape area is adjacent to permeable surfacing and no runoff occurs; or b. The adjacent non-permeable surfaces are designed and constructed to drain entirely to landscaping; or c. 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 in section 20.330.070(F)(7) (Irrigation Design Plan). Prevention of overspray and runoff must be confirmed during irrigation audit. Section 20.330.070, Paragraph R, Water Waste Prevention: The City and the local retail water purveyors, in concert with the Regional Water Quality Control Board, shall discourage water waste resulting from inefficient landscape irrigation by prohibiting runoff from leaving the target landscape due to, low head drainage, overspray, or other similar conditions where water flows onto adjacent property, non-irrigated areas, walks, roadways, parking lots or structures. Penalties for violation of these prohibitions shall be administered by agencies appropriately authorized. In summary, the City has taken and is taking proactive measures to comply with the new state regulations along with implementing policies and practices that recognize the value and scarcity of water in our area. # 10.9