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550 Irrigation Conservation 2014CITY OF YELM RESOLUTION NUMBER 550 RESTRICTING THE USE OF WATER FOR IRRIGATION PURSUANT TO SECTION 13.04.097 YELM MUNICIPAL CODE AND ESTABLISHING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF WATER CONSERVATION MEASURES IN 2014 WHEREAS, Section 13.04.097 YMC states that the City reserves the right for any cause to make any order regulating forbidding or restricting the use of water for irrigation or sprinkling or any other non-essential outside usage; and WHEREAS, irrigation water through irrigation meters within the City of Yelm used 68.7 acre feet of water in 2009, enough water to provide potable water for 285 homes; and WHEREAS, irrigation water through irrigation meters accounted for 8.5% of all water used in Yelm in 2009; and WHEREAS, irrigation water usage significantly adds to the peak demand needs of the City of Yelm water system, requiring costly infrastructure improvements including source capacity, storage, and distribution lines, and WHEREAS, the City conducted a water audit that shows almost twice as much water is used to irrigate commercial landscaping and recreational open space as is required to keep these areas healthy and productive; and WHEREAS, the City utilized the Washington Irrigation Guide, published by the National Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) and data from the Environmental Protection Agency to determine that typical landscaping plants comprised of trees and shrubs require 11.53 inches of irrigation water per season in the Yelm area to remain healthy and productive; and WHEREAS, the City desires to promote water conservation by watering street trees (trees in the public right of way) only as needed during the irrigation season with reclaimed water and allowing grass in planter strips within the public right of way to go dormant; and WHEREAS, many private storm ponds within residential and commercial developments have irrigation systems that were installed to establish storm pond plantings but are not required for long term maintenance of the ponds; and WHEREAS, residential irrigation is not metered separately through irrigation meters but is a significant portion of total water usage in Yelm; and WHEREAS, residential homeowners associations often have covenants and restrictions that require lots to be maintained in a manner which requires significant irrigation of lawns; and WHEREAS, these covenants are not required by any City development regulation and conflict with water conservation policies; and WHEREAS, the City Council adopted Resolution 510 which established a water conservation program based on these tenets in 2010 which resulted in a significant reduction in irrigation water usage; and Whereas, the City Council adopted Resolutions 522, 531, and 539 which continued the water conservation program from 2011 through 2013; and WHEREAS, the City Council desires to promote water conservation in order to use its water supply in the most efficient manner possible, limiting discretionary use; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Yelm that the following water conservation measures be undertaken immediately. 1. The Community Development Director shall establish a water budget for every irrigation meter customer that limits the annual amount of irrigation water allowed for each irrigation meter. The water budget shall be based on: • The area of landscaping on the site, excluding storm ponds and planter strips within the public street right of way. • An annual irrigation rate of 11.53 inches of water. 2. The total amount of water allocated for irrigation meter customers shall be no greater than 1,466,496 cubic feet (33.67 AF). 2. Written notice of the annual water budget shall be provided to each irrigation meter customer. 3. Irrigation meters will be read weekly during the irrigation season and notice of weekly usage will be provided to irrigation utility customers. 4. When the water budget for the year has been used, the irrigation meter will be locked. 5. The City will irrigate with reclaimed water all planter strips in the public right of way, as needed. 6. Residential water conservation is encouraged by the City of Yelm and private covenants requiring residential irrigation of property are suspended. APPROVED this 22nd day of April, 2014. z dw C7 f Ron Harding, Mayor ATTEST: nine Schnepf, City Clef k