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Home My WebLink About7.b. Water Conservation Ordinance EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Utility Commission Meeting: November 18, 2019 AGENDA SECTION: AGENDA ITEM: Water Conservation Ordinance New Business PREPARED BY: Brian Erickson, P.E. Director of Public Works AGENDA NO. 7.b. / City Engineer ATTACHMENTS: City Code Title 4, Chapter 1, Article A-3 – APPROVED BY: BLE Use Restrictions RECOMMENDED ACTION: Review Attached City Code BACKGROUND At the September 16, 2019 Utility Commission meeting, staff was asked to review city code with respect to water conservation. Attached is the applicable portion of city code regarding use restrictions. In addition, staff contacted nearby cities to gain additional information regarding their code language and whether or not those cities were taking significant enforcement actions. That information was previously forwarded to the Commission via e- mail on October 10, 2019 and is also summarized below. Q. Do other cities have a watering restriction ordinance that includes: Exceptions for smart irrigation sensors? A. No. Citations for overwatering (irrigation flowing onto impervious surfaces)? A. No Q. How many watering restriction citations have we given out in the past few years? How many have other cities given out? A. We have not issued any citations in the past five years. Lakeville has issued 3 warnings, no citations. No other cities have issued any citations in the past five years. Based on the above information, anticipated effort involved in enforcement and the minimal return in potential water savings, staff is not recommending any code changes at this time. It is likely that a public informational effort would net a larger benefit for a much smaller expenditure of staff time. SUMMARY Discuss the current ordinance and potential future action items. C:\\Users\\jab\\AppData\\Local\\Temp\\7.b. Water Conservation Ordinance_576942\\7.b. Water Conservation Ordinance.docx 11/14/2019 Sterling Codifiers, Inc. https://www.sterlingcodifiers.com/codebook/index.php?book_id=452 1/1 4-1A-3: USE RESTRICTIONS: A. Leak In Lines To Be Reported: Any owner, occupant or user of a premises who shall discover a leak in a water service line to the premises shall notify the city within twenty four (24) hours. Any water wasted due to failure of such person to comply with this regulation shall be estimated by the city and be charged for against the owner at such premises at the established rate. (Ord. XI.19, 11- 19-1996) B. Sprinkling And Other Limitations: In order to conserve the city's potable water supply, each water customer is required to comply with the following restrictions between May 1 and August 31 in any calendar year: 1. Daily Schedule: On odd numbered days of the month, only odd numbered addresses shall water lawns or landscaping, and on even numbered days, only even numbered addresses shall water lawns or landscaping. 2. Hours: No watering of lawns or landscaping is permitted between the hours of twelve o'clock (12:00) noon and six o'clock (6:00) P.M. on any day. 3. Exceptions: a. The limitations of subsections B1 and B2 of this section do not apply to the watering of lawns or landscaping for the first thirty (30) days after establishment or planting of such lawn or landscaping. b. The limitation of subsection B1 of this section does not apply to the watering of lawns or landscaping of public parks and public property by the city, provided the city waters no more frequently than every other day. (Ord. XI.28, 8-21-2007) C. Water For Air Conditioning: All air conditioning systems which are connected directly or indirectly with the public water system must be equipped with water conserving and water regulating devices as approved by the utilities commission. Permits shall be required for the installation of all new air conditioning systems to the public water system. Said permit shall be on forms as provided by the city. D. Use Confined To Premises: No person shall permit water from the water system to be used for any purpose except his own premises unless written consent is obtained from the public works director. (Ord. XI.19, 11-19-1996)