Laserfiche WebLink
<br />'. <br />- - -'-- -- - ---~-- -- <br /> <br />.-"_1. _J...___ ~'.__,._._ _________ <br /> <br />-;.,..;.. <br /> <br />'. <br /> <br />. ..o~ '." <br /> <br />the landscape irrigation system, if existing, ' <br /> <br />Residential water audits are offered as a free service by dozens of utilities; particularly <br />in California. ' <br /> <br />8. Encourage commercial/industrial water audits. by paying a portion of the cost for an <br />outside consultant. <br /> <br />The satisfactory completion ,of a thorough commercial/industrial audit requires a <br />technical understanding of that particular industry. For that reason, these audits are <br />usually perfonned by consulting engineers, as opposed to being done by utility staffs. <br />Furthennore, a business may be more receptive to working directly with a consulting <br />engineer, rather than "the City". <br /> <br />Businesses will typically require, at least, a two or three year payback before they <br />would pay for the implementation of a water conservation measure. A several <br />thousand dollar fee for a consulting engineer to complete an audit only adds to the <br />cost that must be paid off by whatever measures are instituted. If the City were to <br />offset some of the consultant's fee, it would offer an incentive to have the audit <br />performed, and the recommended strategies implemented. <br /> <br />9. Require ~rinkler contractors to pass a test on water-efficient irrigation design. in <br />order to obtain the already-required annual license. <br /> <br />Sprinkler contractors are currently required to be annually licensed by the City, with <br />the only qualifications being the payment of $50 and the submittal of three letters of <br />reference (which need not refer to the person's'expertise with irrigation system design <br />or installation). <br /> <br />The adequate design' and installation of an irrigation system is critical to the efficient <br />use of water. A poc>rly designed and/or install~ean-beuurse--ronne wasung -- <br />------~--()fa great volume of water, and it is not easily remedied. The customer's potential for <br />efficiently irrigating his landscape is dependent upon the quality of the sprinkler <br />contractor's work. That is true for the life of the system, even as it passes on with <br />property transactions. <br /> <br />The City does require a permit for the installation of a sprinkler system, with a <br />followup inspection by the Building Department. However, the inspection deals only <br />with safety issues, such as backflow prevention, and not with quality of installation as <br />related to water-efficiency. <br /> <br />10. Brin~' about more water-conserving P.D.D. landscaping by (a) requmng that the <br />turf grass mixture be specified on landscape plans (as now required for all other plant <br />materials) and recommending the use of lower water-requiring turf grasses, (b) <br /> <br />9 <br />