Item #18 Staff Presentation of Water Conservation Ordinance Programs, Seeking Direction of Commission
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AGENDA ITEM COVER SHEET
Meeting Date: November 18, 2008
Item # I g
Reviewed By:
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Contact Name:
Contact Number:
Charles K. Smith, P.E.
407 -905-3159
City Manager:
I Subject: Staff presentation of an outline of policies and programs that will be addressed by
I the Proposed Water Conservation Ordinance, Seeking Direction of Commission
Background Summary:
The City of Ocoee's groundwater supply, like all of Central Florida's communities, is finite and the City must
take steps to control it through conserving its usage. To accomplish this goal, Staff will present to City
Commission the underlying premises for a new Water Conservation Ordinance that should ensure a successful
water conservation program. Such premises shall include adoption of WaterStarTM program for new residential
properties, establish water budgets based on an allowable annual irrigation depth-coverage, providing for a
reward/incentive program for customers adhering to the water budget program, revising the watering violation
procedures and limiting hours of irrigation.
Issue:
Staff will present the premises of a new Water Conservation Program and seeking direction on the final
development and scheduling of the adoption of a Water Conservation Ordinance.
Recommendations
None.
Attachments:
Outline of Water Conservation Ordinance.
Financial Impact:
No direct impact from this presentation.
Type of Item: (please marl< with an "x'j
Public Hearing
== Ordinance First Reading
Ordinance Second Reading
Resolution
Commission Approval
Discussion & Direction
For Clerk's DeDt Use:
_____ Consent Agenda
_____ Public Hearing
_____ Regular A.gellda.
Original Document/Contract Attached for Execution by City Clerk
== Original Document/Contract Held by Department for Execution
Reviewed by City Attorney
Reviewed by Finance Dept.
Reviewed by 0
N/A
N/A
N/A
Mavor
S. Scott Vandergrift
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Commissioners
Gary Hood, District 1
Scott Anderson, District 2
Rusty Johnson, District 3
Joel F. Keller, District 4
City Manager
Robert Frank
DRAFT ORDINANCE PREPARATION
(October 2008)
Outline for the new Water Conservation Ordinance
1. Define all City water sources; groundwater, reclaim and harvested stormwater as a
resource that must be conserved and be subject to the conditions of the water
conservation ordinance.
2. Establish the SJRWMD's WaterStar™ program for all new construction.
1. All new residential construction that submits for a permit after adoption of the
ordinance.
Before C.O. is issued
II. Existing homes that undertake a 50% or greater modification to the main
structure, 75% change to existing landscaping or voluntary participation. An
exemption if not allowed by deed restrictions (HOAs).
3. Establish a "Running Annual Water Budget" (RA WB) for all new WaterStar™
application and provide for a five year transition for remaining customers to a water
budget. The RA WB shall be based on an annual depth of irrigation supply of 36" over
60% of a home's green space, including frontage parkway and 12" over remaining area
(landscape beds) for a weight value 26.4". The RA WB shall assume a residential lot of
10,000 s.f. with 50% impervious area. Provisions shall be included to allow customer to
make application to have staff perform an onsite audit for lots greater than based-
specified lot size.
4. Establish an incentive program in which customers that have a usage equal or below their
80% RA WB on a monthly basis will not be subject to watering restrictions.
5. Establish a drought period, May 1 sl to June 15th, where new planting and sodding is
discouraged and water exemptions are not supported. This provision would be for only
existing commercial and residential properties.
6. Watering Violations will be revised per the following:
a) First contact with a customer shall be a non-removable warning and shall not be
removable as long as the customer remains at the same address or until the water
conservation ordinance receives major modification.
b) In counting total violations, a customer's total, not including warnings, shall be
reduced by 1 for every 15 months without a violation. This will be subject to existing
customer's transition to the RA WB. Customers that remain violation-free for 15
months and comply with the RA WB shall have all violations removed.
City ofOcoee Utilities. 1800 A.D. Mims Road. Ocoee, Florida 34761
Phone: (407) 905-3159. Fax: (407) 656-7416. www.ci.ocoee.fl.us
c) As it is the goal of Utilities to make every point of contact with our customers as
positive as possible, a violation can be removed by participating in one of the
Department's educational programs, self-study of approved conservation material or
confirmed correction/repair of failed system.
7. Watering times for all City sources shall be limited to between 12:01 A.M. to 8:00 A.M.
and 6:00 P.M. to 12:00 A.M. on the day permitted. Homes with odd addresses are
permitted to irrigate Wednesdays and Saturdays and homes with even or no addresses are
permitted to irrigate Thursdays and Sundays. Irrigation cyc1e(s) shall not be permitted to
run into the next day.
8. The minimum purchase of landscape material required to qualify for a waiver is $250.00
and will be subject to Item 5 above.
9. The City is employing the smart metering system Sensus FlexNet, which is capable of
monitoring a parcel's hourly water usage. The FlexNet system shall be used to monitor
and verify watering infractions. An initial violation determined by customer by FlexNet
shall be considered a warning. Written notification shall be provided to customers with
time(s) and dates of violation and a specific statement that owner has 30 days before the
FlexNext will be used for further violations.
10. A provision shall be added to address creativity in conserving water to provide for
specific allowed use. Example: The use of a soil moisture sensor in all zones and/or a
weather-based controller with a consistent below RA WB level of usage would allow
irrigation any day.