A landscape water budget is the amount of water required to irrigate a landscape to maintain the health of the plants without wasting water. It is calculated according to commonly accepted principles of horticulture and irrigation design.
The Palo Alto Municipal Code (PAMC) incorporates a set of standards that are applied to any new or renovated landscape for commercial, industrial, multi-family common areas, or city facility projects with 1,500 square feet or more of landscaped area. PAMC requires landscape plans to meet the requirements of the Landscape Water Efficiency Standards before a building or grading permit is issued. One of the requirements is that a water budget be calculated for each project. The water budget, or Maximum Water Allowance, may not exceed 80% of local reference ETo (reference evapotranspiration) per year.
The Landscape Water Efficiency Standards began through state legislation (AB 325), passed in 1992. It was a response to the statewide need to conserve water as the urban population continues to grow, but the State's water resources do not. One fair way to allocate water to outdoor landscaping is to apply a reasonable formula to all new projects. AB 325 applied to cities and counties. Since 1992, many water agencies have also adopted some form of water budget requirement to new projects in their districts. In Palo Alto, the water budget allocation is not applied to residential projects.
If your project has over 1,500 square feet of irrigated landscape, please submit the following when applying for your building or grading permit:
- Design Intent Statement
- Landscape Water Use Statement
- Water Use Calculations
- Irrigation Plan
- Grading Plan
- Landscape Plan
The landscape water use statement and the water use calculation form can be found in the Appendix of the Landscape Water Efficiency Standards (PDF). For further questions regarding the standards, please contact our Water Conservation Specialist at (650) 329-2417.
New Recycled Water Ordinance in Effect
On May 12, 2008, the Palo Alto City Council approved a recycled water ordinance that requires projects, new and remodeled, to be constructed in a manner to readily accept recycled water for irrigation use when it becomes available. These requirements are now required because it is far cheaper to build in these features during initial construction than to retrofit them in. Single-family homes are exempt from the ordinance, but all commercial, industrial and institutional projects with over 1,500 square feet of landscape are eligible. Effective June 12, 2008, projects submitting for a building permit will need to show a separate irrigation system with the required recycled water infrastructure.
· Recycled Water Ordinance No. 5002
· Recycled Water Summary Matrix
For more information on planning for recycled water use in your project, please contact (650) 329-2417.
