Should Moisture-Sensing Sprinkler Timers be Required for New Houses?

Roseville's water efficiency rules for new landscaping could soon be a little more strict, and could be made to match up with industry standards.

The Roseville City Council on Wednesday will consider adding a requirement to the city's 2009 Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance to require moisture-sensing, weather-aware irrigation systems on new landscaping smaller than 2,500 square feet.

Those areas, if installed by a landscaper during new construction or rehabilitation, would be required to have a "weather-based irrigation controller, soil moisture-based controller, or other self-adjusting irrigation controller that automatically adjusts irrigation in response to changes in plants' needs and as weather conditions change," according to a staff report.

Roseville adopted a Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance in 2009 and the California Green Building Standards Code the following year, but the two documents don't match up, city staff say.

"Making these two documents consistent will help staff streamline plan approvals and inspections and improve communication with the development community," a staff report says. 

The city also has water-saving requirements for showerheads, toilets and other aspects of home construction. It has separate rules for landscaping projects larger than 2,500 square feet.

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Roseville City Council meeting
7 p.m. Wednesday
311 Vernon St. 

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