r-10646City Council Meeting 12 -13 -2011
California
Santa Monica,
RESOLUTION NUMBER 10646 (CCS)
(City Council Series)
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA
UPDATING THE SANTA MONICA WATER- EFFICIENT LANDSCAPE AND
IRRIGATION STANDARDS, EFFECTIVE February 1, 2012
WHEREAS, in recent years there has been both worldwide and local
concerns raised about escalating water costs and the effects of global warming;
and
WHEREAS, the State of California, including the City of Santa Monica,
suffers from recurring severe drought conditions and even during non - drought
periods water is a scarce resource throughout Southern California; and
WHEREAS, the City of Santa Monica receives on average less than 15
inches of precipitation annually and in some years precipitation can be as little as
3 inches; and
WHEREAS, in recent years the City of Santa Monica has relied almost
exclusively on water imported from Northern California or from the Colorado
River to meet its water needs; and
WHEREAS, the imported water supply from Northern California and from
the Colorado River cannot be reliably depended upon by the City of Santa
Monica due to reoccurring drought conditions throughout the western United
States, and due to federal and state regulations limiting such water for urban
uses; and
WHEREAS, conservation of water is critically important if the City of Santa
Monica is to sustain itself, survive drought as well as emergencies and natural
disasters; and
WHEREAS, water shortage conditions within the State of California and within
the City of Santa Monica can arise on short notice as a result of drought, natural
disaster, or other emergency events that critically impact the availability of water. As a
result, the residents and business operators of the City of Santa Monica live under an
almost constant threat of water shortage; and
WHEREAS, inefficient irrigation devices and watering practices, particularly
related to maintenance of landscapes, result in the waste of ever scarcer water
resources; and
WHEREAS, high water- demanding plant materials represent enormous drains on
the City's already limited water resources; and
WHEREAS, the City is committed to reducing inefficient use of water resources
for irrigation so as to maximize the availability of potable water for essential residential
and business uses; and
WHEREAS, the standards and requirements set forth in this regulation are
consistent in principle with the goals, objectives, policies, land uses and programs
specified in the adopted General Plan and the proposed updates to Chapter 8.180,
Subpart B of the Santa Monica Municipal Code; and
WHEREAS, Government Code Section 65595 mandates the creation of an
updated state -wide model water efficient landscape ordinance, which would apply to all
municipalities in California, unless a local agency adopted a local water efficient
landscape ordinance that is, based on evidence in the record, at least as effective in
conserving water as the updated state -wide model ordinance; and
WHEREAS, at its December 8, 2009 meeting, the City Council adopted a local
water efficient landscape ordinance, and a set of water - efficient landscape and irrigation
standards which exceeds the standards set out in the state model water efficient
landscape ordinance; and
WHEREAS, water features with large surface areas require significant amounts
of water to refill, due to surface evaporation, thus creating an unnecessarily high water
demand on the City's limited water resources; and
WHEREAS, requiring calculations for maximum applied water allowance
(MAWA) provides consumers with water budgeting information, which increases water
use awareness and enables more water efficient landscape and irrigation planning; and
WHEREAS, use of greywater irrigation systems conserve precious potable water
for other more appropriate uses; and
WHEREAS, the City of Santa Monica has a long standing commitment to
leadership in water and other resource conservation; and
WHEREAS, the City of Santa Monica is committed to exceeding the standards
set out in the state model water efficient landscape ordinance;
NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA
DOES HEREBY RESOLVE AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1
The Water- Efficient Landscape and Irrigation Standards, as set forth in
Attachment A, are hereby adopted.
SECTION 2
Any other resolution adopting, amending, or relating to the Water- Efficient
Landscape and Irrigation Standards authorized by Chapter 8.108, Subpart B, is hereby
repealed in its entirety as of February 1, 2012.
SECTION 3
The City Clerk shall certify to the adoption of this Resolution and the same shall
be in full force and effect as of February 1, 2012.
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
MfARSHA\4 NES MO TRIE
City Attorney
Adopted and approved this 13th day of December, 2011.
Richard Bloom, Mayor
I, Denise Anderson - Warren, Acting City Clerk of the City of Santa Monica, do
hereby certify that the foregoing Resolution No. 10646 (CCS) was duly adopted at a
meeting of the Santa Monica City Council held on the 13th day of December, 2011, by
the following vote:
Ayes: Councilmembers:
Noes: Councilmembers:
Holbrook, McKeown, O'Connor, Shriver
Mayor Pro Tern Davis, Mayor Bloom
None
Absent: Councilmembers: O'Day
ATTEST:
Denise Anderson - Warren, Acting City Clerk