2015 Update to the California Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance Teresa Eade, Senior Program Manager, StopWaste Kelly Schoonmaker, RLA, LEED AP – StopWaste
Goals for the Day, Why WELO is Important, MA Interviews Agenda Item 2.
Goals for the Day Why WELO is Important • Increase our Understanding of WELO • Share our Collective Expertise • Come Up with Solutions to Common Barriers to • Implementation Review Existing Tools • Discuss whether to make new Tools or Trainings •
StopWaste & WELO Why StopWaste Cares about WELO implementation • Organics Market Development WELO creates demand for recycled compost and mulch by requiring: • 3 inch layer of recycled mulch • 4 cubic yards of compost/1000 sq feet of planting area Per Acre that equals • 403 cubic yards of Recycled Mulch or 101 tons • 170 cubic yards of Compost or 70 tons Member Agencies collectively could permit 10 to 20 acres per year.
StopWaste & WELO Why StopWaste Cares about WELO implementation • Legislative Drivers of Organics Diversion SB 1383 (2016) Short-lived climate pollutants Requires CalRecycle to develop regulations to achieve reduction in disposal of Organic Waste from 2014 levels : • 50% reduction by 2020 • 75% reduction by 2025 • Programs to achieve 20% percent recovery of edible food by 2025 • Drop in BioFuels Market • Statewide need of 100 new or expanded facilities to handle 10 million more tons
Benefits of Compost & Mulch in the Landscape Why You Should Care About Compost & Mulch • CLIMATE CHANGE ! “Compost provides long term sequestration of carbon, our best hope to combat climate change.” Gary Anderson, Ecology Department Head, Lawrence Berkeley Laboratories, Ph.D. Plant Pathology, Microbiologist
Compost Sequesters Carbon Findings from the Marin Carbon Project O ne time, ½ inch, application of compost on grasslands Increase in: plant productivity, water retention carbon storage - 1 metric tons of carbon/acre Prof. Whendee Silver, UC Berkeley 5 years of measurement found, John Wick, Marin Carbon 1 metric ton per year in stable, microbial Project resistant carbon. Model predicts 1 ton/acre/year- 30 years Continued benefit for 100 years!
Compost Carbon Photosynthetically Derived Durable Soil Carbon A SINGLE APPLICATION OF ½” COMPOST WILL RESULT IN 30 – 100 YEARS OF ONGOING SOIL CARBON SEQUESTRATION!
Benefits of Compost & Mulch in the Landscape Why You Should Care About Compost & Mulch Benefits: 30 to 50 tons of Carbon Sequestration per acre 50% increased water savings • soil water holding capacity improved 70 – 80% reduced runoff Breaks down pollutants Creates resiliency
Benefits of Compost & Mulch in the Landscape • If you only learn one thing today, Enforce the WELO Requirements for Compost & Mulch 3 inches of Recycled Mulch 4 cubic yards of Compost /1,000 sq ft. Measure the Mulch layer at the site visit Ask for receipts for Compost purchased
Water From DWR & Public Policy Institute of CA • 50% of all urban Water Use is used on landscapes • Californians have been reducing their per capita water use 1995 = 232 gallons per day 2010 = 178 gallons per day 2015 = 130 gallons per day • In urban areas, the greatest potential for further water savings lies in long-term reductions in landscape irrigation — a shift requiring changes in plantings and watering habits.
Member Agency WELO Implementation Member Agency How Member Agency is Adopting WELO Alameda County Adopted By Default Adopting Ordinance: Alameda Adopting a new WELO Albany Adopting a New WELO 8 adopt; 2 done, Berkeley Adopting By Default 6 plan to adopt Dublin Adopting a New WELO Use the Emeryville Adopted a New WELO StopWaste Model Fremont Adopted by Default WELO Hayward Adopted a New WELO Livermore Adopting a New WELO 6 do not plan to adopt, letting Newark Adopted by Default Oakland Adopted by Default state model come Piedmont Adopted by Default into effect Pleasanton Adopted a New WELO San Leandro Adopting a New WELO Union City Adopting A New WELO
Member Agency WELO Implementation Result from Member Agency Interviews Who Implements WELO in the City o 8 Planners o 4 City Landscape Architects o 3 Outside Contractors o 3 Building Officials
Member Agency WELO Implementation Result from Member Agency Staff Interviews Barriers to Implementation Lack of Staff Time 1. Lack of Expertise: 2. • Landscape Architects • Irrigation knowledge Inconsistent interpretation of ordinance 3. Poor communications across City Departments 4. Lack of proper forms and protocols 5. Taking it on faith that what is in plans is getting 6. done Project LA may be unfamiliar with WELO 7. Requirements No mechanism for enforcement of ordinance 8. Tracking project details and reporting to DWR 9.
Key Elements of WELO Agenda Item 3
Background • History AB 325: original model ordinance, took effect in 1993 AB 1881: update to 325, took effect in 2010 Update to Model Ordinance, took effect 12/2015 • Future AB 2515: WELO will be updated every three years to align with CALGreen schedule (on or before 2020)
Adoption Cities have several options for adoption : • Adopt by reference (Bay-Friendly Basics separate) • Adopt in detail • Amend or adopt a new ordinance to meet requirements • Do nothing and it would come into effect •
Highlights of the 2015 update to WELO • Applicability – Permitted projects 500 sf for new construction 2,500 sf for renovations • Prescriptive Path to Compliance (<2,500 sf) • Reporting requirements for implementing jurisdictions • Required by CALGreen • Lower Water Budgets: different for res and non-res • Compost required • More mulch required; must be local, recycled* • New irrigation requirements
What triggers a WELO review? • Size of project: 500 sf or 2,500 sf (rehab) • Building or landscape permits, plan check or design review • Sometimes new meter or upgrade to service (water agencies)
WELO Review and Documentation Conditions of approval Commitment to compliance Permitting/Design Landscape Design Package Post-Construction Certificate of Completion
What’s in the Landscape Documentation Package? Landscape Documentation Who prepares submittal? Package Project Information Owner or designee Water Efficient Landscape Worksheet Owner or designee Soil Management Report* Soil Lab Landscape Plan LA, Contractor, or any person “authorized to design a landscape” Irrigation Plan LA, Contractor, Irrigation Designer Grading Plan LA or Civil Engineer
What’s on the Landscape Design Plan • Hydrozones • Special Landscape Areas • Mulch – note type, depth, quantity • Soil amendments – note type (compost), application rate • Water features – note area • Hardscape – pervious and impervious noted • Stormwater treatment if any • Rainwater catchment and gray water sources if any • Water Budget and Use calcs* • Information sometimes found in specifications only
What do I verify after construction? Certificate of Completion Who prepares document? Project Information Owner or designee Record drawings* Does not specify Soil Management Report* Soil Lab Verification of implementation of the Owner or designee recommendations in the Soil Management Report Irrigation Audit Report Local agency auditor or independent third party Certification that landscape is Landscape Designer, Irrigation installed as designed and meets Designer, or Contractor WELO Hydrozone plan (with controller) Does not specify Irrigation and landscape Does not specify maintenance schedule Verification of Diversion* StopWaste WELO
Water Budget and ETWU Agenda Item 3
Review Common Terms • MAWA: Maximum Applied Water Allowed, often called Water Budget (gallons) • ETWU: Estimated Total Water Use, how much water your design will use (gallons) • ETo: Reference Evapotranspiration, how much water is lost by a planting of cool season turf through ET where you are (inches/day, month, or year). • P lant F actor: Plants’ water needs relative to ETo (0 -1.0) • I rrigation E fficiency: Fraction of water that gets to plant (0- 1.0) • ETAF: ET Adjustment Factor, considers irrigation efficiency and plant factor to estimate how much water will need to be applied to plants (0-1.0).
The two lives of ETAF • ETAF is relative to the Eto, on a scale of 0 – 1. • ETAF = PF/IE • In the water budget, the ETAF is predetermined by the WELO. 0.45 Non-residential 0.55 Residential This means that — over the whole landscape area — the average PF/IE must be equal to or less than this value. • In the estimated water use , the ETAF is determined by planting and irrigation choices. This means that each hydrozone will have a different ETAF, depending on PF/IE.
More Common Terms • Hydrozone Areas with similar water use based on plant needs (plant factors), exposure, slope, irrigation type, etc. • Special Landscape Area (SLA) Gets a pass on the water budget, sort of. Recreation areas (only in non-residential), edibles, areas irrigated with recycled water • WUCOLS: Water Use Classification of Landscape Species Reference for plant water needs.
Recommend
More recommend
