HomeMy WebLinkAbout0467.000August 9" 1990
THE HONORABLE CITY OOL~CIL
Palo Alto.,. California
Amendment to Water Use Qrdinance
Members of the council:
12
This report requests council approval of the attached Ordinance
amending the Emergency Water Use Ordinance. This amendment
specifies that certain act.i.vities are exempted from the 10:0'0
a ••• to 6:00 p.m. irrigation prOhibition.
Background
In KaYI Council approved an emerqency ordinance restricting
certain water uses (CMR~302:0). One of these restrictions was to
prohibit landscape irrigation between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and
6~OO p.m. The purpose of this rest.riction vas to prevent the
water waste that occurs during that tl~e period due to
evaporation and wind effects.
Discussion
There are some irriqation practices that are highly conserving
and/or not subject to wasteful efrects of mid-day heat or wind.
These practices include drip and soal:er hose Irrigation and hand
watering ..
For example~ in hand-waterinq container plants or small flower
beds. not much water is lost to evaporation and both the
direction and quantity of the water applied can be carefully
controlled. Drip and soaker hose irrigation are conserving
irrigation technIques to begin with; and since they operate at
ground level. evaporation and wind effects are negligible. The
two qolf courses within the City. as another example, can save
slqni~icant amounts of water by hand-watering greens and tees
during the day rather than over-watering these areas at night to
be sure they will survive.
CMR:467:0 1
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If the above described conserving irrigation practices take place
between lO:~ a~m~ and 6:00 p.m. tbey will not represent a
violation of the spirit or intent of the Emergency water Use
Ordinance. In fact, other jurisdictions r such as the Cities of
Hillsborough, Santa Cruz and Monterey, have exempted similar
practices fro. their irriqation re6trictipns~
Recommendation
Statr recommends Council approve an ordinance amendir'"t9 the Palo
Alto MUnicipal Code to modify the prohibition against landscape
irrIgation between 10:00 a.woo and 6:00 p.m. to make specific
exceptions for drip irrigation, use of soaker hoses and hand
watering ..
Respectfally submitted,
~~-X~
Manager, Enerqy Services
Chair, water Management committee
~/-{.~ RiCHARD L. Y G
Director of Uti lties
~~
Assistant City Manaqer
Attachment: Ordinance
CMR:467:0
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OanUIANcB NO.
ORDl:)1ANC'B O. THE COUNCIL OF RZ CIT"1 01" 'PALO
AL!'O AKl!NDIJlG BEC'l'IOII 12.32.015 OF nrB PALO
AL!'O xu.ICIPAL CODE IIOOIFYIIIG ~BB IRRIGATIOII
RESTIIlC'l'IOJl
WHEREAS, Section 12~J2~015 of the Palo Alto Municipal
Code now prohibits activities whicb the Council finds may be
allowed without undue Or unreasonable waste of water:
NOW" THEREFORE., the council of the City of Palo Alto does
ORDAIN as follows:
gCT~. Subsection (1) of Section 12.'32~015 is hereby
amended to read as follows:
1. Except for drip irrigation systems~ soa~er hose
irrigation systems, and hand-watering. landscape irriga
tion shall no,t be allo ..... ed betveen 10:00 a.m. and 6:0.0
p.m. Irrigation at all times ~ust conform vith section
12.32.010.
SECTION 2.. Provisions of this -ordinance do not consti
tute a project under the provisions of tbe California Environment
Quality Act, and~ therefore~ no environmental impact assessment is
necessary ..
SECTION 3.. This ordinance shall become effective upon
the commencement of the thirty-first day after the day of its pas
sage.
INTRODUCED:
PASSED:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSTENTIONS:
ABSEN'I' :
ATTEST: APPROVED:
city Clerk
APPROVED AS TO FORK:
Actinq! city Attorney--------
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APPROVED:
city Manager
Director of Utilities
ACB:jDl
7/31/90
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