Stemming the runoff tide |
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October, 2007 From American City & County Two years ago, California asked Newport Beach to clean up the flow of urban runoff into Crystal Cove, a popular tourist destination on the coast of the Pacific Ocean that is listed by the state as an “area of special biological significance.” Because rain has been scarce, city officials identified landscape over-watering as the main source of runoff, and one of the biggest problems appeared in the Buck Gully Canyon watershed, which sends up to 190 million gallons of water a year into the ocean, according to city Water Quality Specialist John Kappeler. Buck Gully Canyon is a hilly residential area with large, sloped landscapes and clay soil, which poses irrigation challenges. The city contracted with Petaluma, Calif.-based HydroPoint Data Systems to help design a runoff reduction program and conduct water efficiency audits for homeowners. Beginning in Buck Gully and spreading to other parts of the city, auditors identified inefficient irrigation systems and encouraged residents to fix leaks. For homeowners with efficient equipment and at least 1,200 square feet of irrigated landscape, the city offered free “smart” controllers that limit water distribution to suit landscape and climate conditions. The devices are programmed with the characteristics of the landscape in which they are installed, such as soil type and the kind of sprinkler heads used, and they are automatically updated with daily local weather data. Using a $300,000 federal grant and matching city funds, Newport Beach purchased 650 WeatherTRAK controllers from HydroPoint and hired contractors to install and program them, and follow up with the homeowners. To date, Newport Beach has installed 490 controllers, and the first billing period shows an average savings of 37 percent. Early monitoring shows a 20 percent reduction of runoff in Buck Gully. Now, Newport Beach is developing ordinances to further curb runoff through tiered water rates, mandatory repair of inefficient irrigation systems and irrigation controller requirements. Project: Runoff reduction Jurisdiction: Newport Beach, Calif. Agency: Public Works/Water Quality Vendor: Petaluma, Calif.-based HydroPoint Data Systems Date Started: 2005 Cost: $300,000 |
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