More Yorba Linda turf areas won't be watered

The browning of Yorba Linda continues with the latest 5-0 City Council decision to turn off irrigation on 37 acres of turf maintained by the city's Landscape Maintenance Assessment District and other areas overseen by the Public Works Department.

Earlier council action turned off water for ornamental turf areas in street medians, and the new vote turns off water for turf areas in six local landscape and two arterial (major street) zones. Trees will continue to be watered.

The decision will help the city avoid some – but not all – of the Yorba Linda Water District's penalties for consuming too much water.

Another earlier decision to cut landscape irrigation from three to two days weekly will result in a reduction of about 23 percent in landscape district and public works areas, Public Works Director Mike Wolfe reported in his most recent conservation update.

The street median water reduction will save an added two percent for a total 25 percent cut, with the new turnoffs expected to help the city reach the state-mandated 36 percent level, Wolfe noted.

Turf areas maintained by the landscape district are subject to the turnoff unless they contain playground equipment. Turf maintained by the Parks and Recreation Department, including athletic fields, will continue to be watered twice-a-week under Stage 3 rules.

New local landscape zone turnoffs affect 15 acres in the East Lake area; five acres in the west part of Vista Del Verde; four acres near Yorba Linda Country Club; and two acres each

in the Hidden Hills, central part of Vista Del Verde and west part of Camino De Bryant areas.

New arterial zone turnoffs include two acres each in the northwest part of the city and the East Lake areas. Turnoffs also involve other areas less than an acre each.

Also affected are turf areas maintained by the Public Works Department, mostly drainage facilities along Avenida Rio Oro and Brookmont and Kingsbriar drives, excepting two areas with Parks and Recreation Department play equipment.

Water use from irrigation meters is limited to 115 units per monthly billing period, with penalties for excess use from $65 to $1,000 per meter, depending on the overage amount. One billing unit is 748 gallons.

“Even with the proposed reduction of water usage by 36 percent, there are approximately 180 irrigation meters within the city that will likely be subject to the administrative penalties,” noted Wolfe, who estimated penalties could reach $240,000 per year.

“We are working with a landscape architect to develop a plan to mitigate the city's exposure to penalties from the water district. The consultant's work will also include potential impacts to existing landscaping,” Wolfe added.

The council also voted 3-2 to use $79,700 in general fund reserves to re-route irrigation lines for some public street medians and street-adjacent locations in 12 arterial and local landscape zones to avoid excess water runoff.