Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
I/ <br /> PLANNING PROJECT PROPOSAL #6 -M November 2008 <br /> Lead Department: Planning & Inspections <br /> Primary Contact(s): Glenn Bowles (245-2577), Craig Benedict (245-2592) <br /> Department Interaction: Environmental & Resource Conservation Department <br /> (ERCD) <br /> Subject: Sustainable Landscaping Standards <br /> BACKGROUND <br /> On April 15, 2008,the BOCC received the"Collaborative Water Conservation <br /> Strategies for Joint Consideration by Carrboro, Chapel Hill and Orange County," <br /> adopted a resolution regarding general support for interlocal water conservation <br /> strategies, and directed staff to continue collaborative work on these water <br /> conservation initiatives.. Three of the near term recommendations contained <br /> within the resolution were: <br /> '1. Local governments and OWASA should conduct water use audits and <br /> cost-effective water conservation retrofit projects at local government- <br /> owned and managed properties, thus "leading by example"; <br /> 2, The Towns, County, and OWASA should continue to incorporate and <br /> formalize our collective commitments to state-of-the-art water use <br /> efficiency in the design of new local government-owned and managed <br /> properties and, where practical and cost-effective, in renovated local <br /> government owned and managed properties; and <br /> 3: The Towns, County, and OWASA should develop sustainable landscape <br /> guidelines and requirements to ensure that landscape and irrigation <br /> system design, installation and maintenance are more water efficient and <br /> environmentally friendly than traditional practices. Such measures could <br /> include limits on the amount of turf that can be established on a given site <br /> and irrigated with OWASA-supplied potable water, as well as <br /> • requirements for the placement and design of the irrigation systems. The <br /> use of harvested rainwater and reclaimed water would be encouraged as <br /> alternatives to potable OWASA water. <br /> • <br /> OtherWork Groups. The need for water conservation strategies with the other <br /> water providers in the County has been periodically discussed during the past <br /> few years. In particular, this topic was addressed in part by the Water <br /> Conservation Ordinance Subcommittee, created from the Eno Confluence II in <br /> October 2006. A joint work group of the Planning Board and the Commission for <br /> the Environment has been meeting since July 2008 to formulate sustainable <br /> landscaping standards for consideration. <br /> Another work group, comprised of staff from the Planning and Inspections <br /> Department,the Town of Hillsborough, local builders, and utility companies has <br />