California Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance Findings California Water Commission Sacramento, CA March 20, 2019 Peter Brostrom Water Use and Efficiency Branch

Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance Enacted in 1993 to establish: Water budgets for new landscapes Requirements for irrigation equipment and landscape installation Required of 500 plus land use agencies (cities and counties) statewide

This streetscape is low water, low maintenance, also color, shade, interesting, separates pedestrians from traffic. This would be considered a non-residential landscape- no turf, but landscape benefits

Previous Ordinance Revisions: 2010 10% reduction in water budget 2015 25% reduction in residential budget 36% reduction in commercial budget

3 Year Update/Revision Cycle AB 2515 (2016) directs DWR to: Update the MWELO every three years OR Make a finding that an update to the MWELO is not a useful or effective means to improve… the efficiency of landscape water use, or the administration of the ordinance 3 years in development -reflected the Brown administration desire to continue the water conservation momentum achieved during the 2012-2016 drought - SB x7-7 set out to establish the focus for this decade, this legislation goal is to set the focus for the next decade.

Stakeholder Input Formed a Landscape Advisory Group Received valuable input, primarily editorial, focused on improving clarity

Inconsistent Ordinance Implementation Anecdotal information on inconsistent implementation 2015 revisions required annual reporting Less than 40% have reported

DWR Findings Chosen not to revise for the following reasons: Current standards are efficient, water budgets have been significantly reduced since 2010 Revisions to the State ordinance requires local agencies to revise their ordinances Need to address implementation issues

Next Steps Document stakeholder recommendations Develop landscape ordinance guidebook to assist city planners in implementation Conduct studies to quantify implementation and identify barriers

Contact Information Peter Brostrom Peter.Brostrom@water.ca.gov (916) 651-7034