Landscaping enhances the environment and is essential  to quality of life, but it also uses large amounts of water, which is increasingly scarce.  The State of California responded to both needs  by requiring cities to adopt  water conservation ordinances by 2010. The Vacaville Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance can be found here.

The landscaping practices set forth in the code provide useful guidelines for all local landscaping, it is applied only to new and refurbished landscaping projects.  All are encouraged to peruse and apply these practices.

Do the requirements apply to me?

The requirements of the Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance apply to owners of residential, commercial, municipal, and mixed-use properties with a new landscape construction project of 500 square feet or more, or to a rehabilitated landscape project of 2,500 square feet or more.  All properties must comply with additional landscaping regulations outlined in the city code.

Frequently asked questions:

How do I comply?

A project applicant must submit a Landscape Documentation Package to Current Planning when applying for a permit. Once the permit is issued the applicant must submit a copy of the Water Efficient Landscape Worksheet to the City of Vacaville or the local water purveyor. The documentation package requires information on: total landscape area, project type, and water supply type. These factors impact the requirements. The Worksheet provides equations to determine the water budget calculation, including Maximum Applied Water Allowance (MAWA) and Estimated Total Water Use (ETWU). MAWA is calculated based on the maximum evapotranspiration adjustment factor allowed, these are set rates based on whether the project is residential, commercial or industrial.  ETWU is calculated based on the plants used and irrigation method selected. Both calculations adjust for Evapotranspiration, which is based on average annual rainfall. Estimated Total Water Use must be less than the Maximum Applied Water Allowance, as determined by the worksheet.

To monitor compliance, non-residential irrigated landscapes between 1,000-5,000 square feet require a dedicated water meter(s) for the irrigation system. The same is true for residential landscaping of 5,000 square feet or more.

Water Efficient Landscaping Practices

The following practices are required for new and refurbished projects, and encouraged for all other landscaping.