4A - Transmittal of Final Water Reduction Plan for Parks and RecreationAttachment A
DO NOT REMOVE -
C I T Y O F B O U L D E R PRAB File Matenal
~""' PARKS AND RECREATION ADVISORY BOARD AGENDA ITEM
~...
MEETING DATE: ,june 24, 2002
(Agenda Item Preparation Date: June 9, 2002)
~ AGENDA TITLE: Transmittal of Final Water Reduction Plan for Parks and
Recreation
REQUESTING DEPARTMENT:
Jan Geden, CPRP, Director, Parks and Recreation
Doug Hawthorne, CPRP, Parks Superintendent
Teri Olander, Acting Recreation Superintendent
Kate Bernhardt, Acting Parks Planning & Coastruction Superintendent
FISCAL IMPACT: Undetermined
''~ PURPOSE:
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The purpose of ttus memorandum is to provide the Boazd with a copy of the approved
DepartmenYs Water Conservahon Plan for 2002
BACKGROUND:
Dunng the May PRAB meehng, staff presented the Board with a proposal for reducmg ungauon use
of water m city pazks by 10%. Smce that time, the Plan has been changed to reflect the mandatory
water restnctions approved by Council on June 4, 2002. Pubhc Works and the City Manager's
Office approved the Department's Plan on May 31, 2002. The City of Boulder is takmg a lead role
m reducmg its water use for imgation, and the Parks and Recreahon Department has developed a
Plan for reducmg water for irrigatron by over 25%.
ANALYSIS•
Attached is a copy of the approved water reducrion plan for Pazks and Recreation The red text
m the Plan represents reductions previously approved by Pubhc Works as it relates to
landscapmg of new pazk azeas. The blue text sigmfies new approved reduc[ion plans for
department as it relates to existing parks and facihhes. The Proposal seen by the PRAB at the
May meehng is basically the same except for the followmg uems:
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,` 1 The Pazks and Recreauon Plan ongmally was developed to save on at least 10% of usage
AGENDA ITEM # IV-A ~
2. The approved Plan is based on a?5% water saving.
3. The proposed Water Conservation Plan of May 24, 2002 recommended watering specialized
facilities, like Stazio and Pleasant View more often to preserve the field conditions. The
approved Plan allows us to water no more than 2 times per week, 15 minutes per zone.
Additionally, all exterior areas not associated with the Pleasant View playing fields, including
berms and parking lot islands will not be imaated this summer. The Department is currently
experiencing issues with the water restrictions, particularly at Pleasant View Fields. The turf,
under the current watering restrictions is showing severe signs of stress, and we are in dan~er
of losing turf. We are working with Public Works and the City Manager's office to strategize
other alternatives to more irrigation. This may include attempting to use alternative sources
of water, to trading watering in some urban park areas to be used at Pleasant View.
4. Flatirons Golf Course - although the golf course is inigated by ditch water and not treated,
city water, the approved Plan reduces watering of tees, ~reens and fairways to 5 nights/week,
instead of the seven oriainally proposed.
5. Boulder Reservoir - the approved Plan reduces the watering of tur~ to the twice/week, 15
minutes/zone.
City Parks - the proposed water conservation Plan recommended an increased schedule of
watering for new landscapes and turf areas, and park areas used as satellite athletic fields
scheduled and programmed by the Department. The approved Plan does not permit increased
water for these types of areas. All City Park areas will be irrigated no more than 2
times/week, 15 minutes per irrigation zone. Any park landscape area on a drip type irriaation
system can be watered for up to 2 hours per irrigation zone.
Specialty park areas - The proposed reduction Plan recommended the planting of annual
flowers in certain areas. The approved Plan eliminates planting of flowers from all areas
except the Downtown Pearl Street Mall. The approved Reduction Plan for the Andrews
Arboretum and Community Gardens has been changed to reflect the requirements for
irrigation in the Ordinance. Further retinements have been made to irrigating in the
Community Gardens area.
8. Scott Carpenter pool - The original proposal recommended openinQ Scott Carpenter Pool,
even with the leak. However, the decision was made to keep Scott Carpenter pool closed this
summer and the approved Plan reflects this closure.
PUBLIC CONP.VIENT AND PROCESS:
This item is being heard at this public meeting, as advertised in the Daily Camera.
STAFF RECOMNIENDATION:
This is an information item only.
AGENDA ITEM # IV-A .S
ATTACHMENT:
A. Approved Water Conservation Plan for lirban Parks
AGENDA ITEVI # IV-A `P
une 3, 2002
Water Conservation Program for Urban Parks
Recommended Program to Reduce Irrigation and other Outside Watering
The City of Boulder is experiencing a major water crisis due to a much drier than normal
winter and spring, and a lack of snow pack in the mountains which feeds our reservoirs.
The Parks and Recreation Department has been asked to take a leading role to conserve
irrigation water and potentially take drastic steps to eliminate new plantings.
Over the past few days, Parks and Recreation managers and supervisors have been
meeting to determine a plan for reducing water. The City overall has asked all residents
to cut back on all outside irri~ation water used bv 25% in June, July, Au~ust and
September. Parks and Recreation staff are willing to take the lead on the water reduction
program, but are proposing a balanced approach to this effort.
Parks and Recreation staff monitors"irrigation systems in over 75 separate sites. There is
over 12.5 million square feet of irrigatable landscapes in the urban park system, which
rely mostly on domestic treated water for imgation. The Flatirons Golf Course and
Watson Park irrigate with ditch water, as well as portions of Foothills Community Park
and Valmont Park. The developed south shore of Boulder Reservoir is irrigated from
Left Hand Water, which the City pays to use. In 2000, the Department used over 193
~ million gallons of water to irrigate parks. The tigures for 2001 were incomplete, but the
Department did not use all of its allocation.
A key success of our irrigation program is an ability to track and monitor the use of
water. In the past, Public Works has been responsible for manually reading meters at the
beginning of each irrigation season, once or twice during the summer and then at the end
of the season. In the past water meter readings have been inconsistent, untimely and we
have often questioned some of the figures from certain meters. During the past year,
Public Works has completed installation of new water meters that can be read from
vehicles, or outside meter pits using handheld devices. Paul Lander in Public Works has
purchased a few handheld devices and has expressed an interest in training our staff to
use these devices this season so we can monitor watcr through the meters each day, if it
is needed. We are also implementing the first phase of the Motorola Computerized
irrigation system that will also pro~ide us with flow information through master valves
tied in with computers. This system will not be implemented in our urban parks until
sometime in 2003. The golf course, Pleasant View, Mapleton, Stazio I and II and Scott
Carpenter ballfields will not be tied in to this system at this time. Until such time as we
complete this system and /work out a mutual ag-reement to utilize our computerized data,
we will be working closely with Public Works this summer to monitor our irrigation use
in a more timely and accurate manner.
Watcr Conservation Proposal
The City is asking all users to reduce overall watering by 25%. We believe the plan that
the Parks and Recreation Department is proposing offers a balanced approach to
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addressing this issue, without potentially sacrificing some of urban parks landscape and
turf areas. We are concerned about long-term affects to turf and aesthetics of our parks
with a total elimination of water in many parks. Once the drought ends, and we are able
to irrigate normally again, the public may not be as forgiving and understanding as to
why our park and recreation facilities are less functional and/or unsightly. There may
also be more water or chemical treatments needed in the future to rejuvenate turf, or to
establish new turf and plantings in areas of loss.
The following are specific proposals for reducing water. The proposals for reduction are
for anticipated peak use times. Weather will be a factor in reducing the need for water
even further. The Park and Recreation proposal in this report offers a reduced watering
time up to 60% in many cases.
Public Works has already reviewed and approved a proposal outlined in a recent e-mail
to Ned Williams from Kate Bernhardt concerning irrigation and plantings at newly
developed parks, such as Valmont and Elmer's Two-Mile Parks. This report
incorporates the previously approved strategy for the conservation of water at park
construction projects. '
Staff is proposing several over reaching strategies that are the basis for our overall
reduction recommendations. They are:
l. Heavily used and programmed athletic fields need to be adequately irrigated for
safety reasons and for revenue generating potential to the Department. Water
reductions will be enacted in per„ipheral areas, but the playing surfaces need adequate
water so that we don't lose tur£ Facilities that fit this category include Stazio and
Mapleton Balltields, Pleasant View Fields and Scott Carpenter Balltields.
2. Adequately irrigating newly planted trees or shrubs or existing, older trees that are
showing signs of stress should be a priority for water use. The Department has a
major investment in these landscapes and needs to ensure that plant material is not
lost due to a lack of adeyuate water. Newly planted landscapes that are irrigated
through drip methods should not be cut back on water, as this is the most effective
method to irrigate trees and shrubs.
3. Irrigating major facilities that use ditch shares should be reviewed separately to
ensure that reducing water does not affect future allocations of ditch shares.
Flatirons Golf Course is irrigated through senior ditch share rights from Howard
Ditch. There are potential ways to reduce water usage at the golf course, but we
should not just pass on extra water to downstream users, if there is a potential for a
challenge to our future water shares.
4. The Department will manage our park landscape sites using all of the best available
cultural practices. Practices that would benefit the reduction efforts might include,
but not limited to include increased aeration, increased mowing height in general
park areas and the use of inulch in shrub and unplanted flowerbeds. All irrigation
systems will be programmed to run in the late evening hours or early morning hours
to maximize the water efticiency and minimize evaporation loss.
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!~` 5. It is imperative that Public Works read all water meters at least once per month and
share this information with us in a timely manner. Public Works now has
capabilities of new meters that can be read remotely and that information is critical
to managing our water consumption appropriately.
Specific Recommendations
A. PARKS CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS
Valmont Citv Park:
• The proposed sod installation for the large open multi-use turf area at Valmont City
Park was canceled on May 3, 2002.
• A new drip irrigation system is being installed in the proposed multi-use turf area to
sustain 170 trees recently planted in this area.
~ The entire multi-use turf area will be seeded with annual rye and hydromulched to
provide a quick erosion control cover crop and to displace weed growth. The newly
seeded area will be watered minimally to support the germination of the grass stand.
This area will be mowed regularly throughout the summer to keep weeds a minimum
height. In the fall, if the water availability is sufficient, the weeds will be eradicated,
the site regraded, and the turf installed.
• Signage will be provided on the parksite to inform the public about the water
conservation measures and the delay of completion of Phase 1.
• This area of the park will be maintained as a construction site and will not be opened
to the public for use. No temporary restroom facilities will be provided on the park at
this time. The public will be able to use the walks and trails in the park.
• In addition to the 170 new tree plantings, there are a few existing shrub, tree, and
perennial planting beds at the new park. Watering, primarily drip and some low water
spray will be provided to sustain the plant material.
• Existing sod at the park (right-ot=way strips watered by Netatim /underground
irrigation) and a small area at the main entry sign will be watered minimally to
complete root establishment and to sustain the turf, tapering off to the same water
irrigation schedule determined by the Parks Maintenance staff for other existing parks
to achieve the City requested 10% reduction.
• Annual tlower plantings have been canceled for this new park site.
• Initial cost estimates for the new tree drip system, temporary grass cover,
re-mobilization and grade preparation for a future turf installation, not including the
cost of the sod, is roughly $50,000. The contractor will hold the current unit cost for
the turf if the installation proceeds in the fall.
Elmer's Two Mile Park
• Construction of Elmer's Tw~-Mile Park will proceed to include: completion of
earthwork, utilities, hardscapes;' tributary trail, soft surface trails, bridge, play area,
and irrigation system. The construction contract will not include new sod or plantings.
~ Dry land seeding for erosion control and wetland plantings (depending on the
hydrology of the site) will be installed. Any watering provided to establish the erosion
control dry land seeding will be arranged within the overall Parks and Recrcation
Depa~-tment goal of a 25% reduction in water use. The construction contract will be
revised to re-mobilize the contractor in the future to complete the park construction
and landscaping when the water availability situation irnproves.
• Costs for re-mobilization and additional work to complete the landscape will be
available at a future date.
Foothills Communitv Park:
• lnstallation of 50 warranty trees for this spring has been canceled. Warrantee tree
installation will be rescheduled in fall if the water availability situation improves.
• Costs for revised planting schedule and remobilization is approximately $2500.
North Boulder Recreation Center: „
• Mature trees which were transplanted to provide space for the ncw buildinb will be
hand watered once a month. Landscaping the existing site to repair destruction
caused by the building project was scheduled for a fall installation. Staff will
evaluate how to proceed with this landscaping in September, based on water
availability and water conservation needs.
B. Specialized Facilities
~ 1. Stazio/Mapleton and Scott Carpenter Ballfields.
• Playing fields are currently watered 4 days/week, 12-15 minutes per station = up to
60 minutes/station/week.
• Playing fields in peak summer are irrigated 7 days/week, 25 minutes/station = up to
175 minutes/week.
• Exterior areas outside of the actual playing fields or parking lot islands are irrigated
7 days/week, 10 minutes/station = 70 minutes/week.
Reduction strategies
~ Playing field surfaces - watered 2 times/week/, 15 minutes/station = 30
minutes/station/week.
• Exterior, peripheral areas - water 2 times/week, 10 minutes/station = ZO
minutes/week.
• Parking Lot areas -Eliminate all water to parking lot islands. Hand water trees
and/or shrubs by hand one time per week, 15 minutes/time only if the plant
material is showing severe signs of stress.
• Increase mowing heights in exterior areas
• Additional potassium applications to playing fields.
• Additional organic fertilization
• Rototill and heavily mulch existing flowerbeds, as flowers will not be planted at
~„ these sites.
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2. Pleasant View Fields - 44 total zones
~ • Playing field surface (32 total zo~nes) - Current irrigation schedule - 2 times/week, 20
minutes/zone, 1 cycle/day = 40 minutes/zone/week.
• Summer Schedule - 4 times/week, 20 minutes/zone = 80 minutes/week/zone.
• Berms (11 zones) - normal schedule - 4 times/week, -15 minutes/zone = 60
minutes/week/zone
• Exterior areas outside playfield area - 2-3 times/week, 15 minutes/zone = 45
minutes/zone/week.
Reduction strate~ies
• Playing field surface during the rest of the season - 2 times/week, l5
minutes/zone = 30 minutes/zone/week.
• Berms -Eliminate all watering
~ Exterior areas outside playfield area -Eliminate all watering, except for areas
used for practice purposes.
Total reduction % of time irri~ated - 62%
3. Flatirons Golf Course
• Golf Course is currently irrigated only from Senior Ditch Shares from Howard ditch.
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• Estimated usage, peak season - 580,000 gallons of water/night
• Tees/greens - watered 7 times/week, estimated water use - 180,000 gallons
• Fairways and Roughs - watered 7 times/week, estimated water use - 400,000 gallons
Reduction strate~ies
• Tees/greens - water 5 times/week -
• Fairways - Water no more than 5 times/week
• Driving Range/Roughs - reduce 75,000 gallons of water per cycle
• Signage - develop several signs, along entrance to facility, as well as in the pro
shop informing the public that the facility is irrigated with ditch water.
• Flowers will not be planted at all.
4. Boulder Reservoir (43-45 irrigation zones)
• Boulder Reservoir has approximately 3 acres of bluegrass sod, 1.5 acres of which is
new sod installed in 2001.
• Schedule in early 2001 - 5 times/week, 20 minutes/zone = 100 minutes/week.
• Schedule in mid to late summer, 2001 - 4 times/week, 20 minutes/zone = 80
minutes/week.
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Reduction strate~ies
• Proposed irrigation schedule - 2 times/week, 15 minutes/zone = 30
minutes/zone/week.
• Increase mowing height to 3 1/2 inches.
• Aerate turf area once every 2-3 weeks or after major events or picnics.
• Turn off outdoor showers. Will post signage in the locker rooms requesting the
public to take shorter showers and ensure the water faucets are turned off after
use.
• Eliminate daily deck hosing. Will consider hosing off deck once/week.
• All outside water hoses for wa~tering down sand volleyball courts or other usage
will be pulled from public view.
C. City Parks
1. Park areas with major new tree or shrub plantings (less than 3 seasons old) or
park areas watered via drip irrigation systems. This list does not include the many
park sites that have small groupings or indiviclual recent planting of trees.
• Foothills Community Park
• Eaton Park
• Greenleaf Park
• Martin Park - corner of Broadway and Table Mesa and near tennis courts
• Lovers Hill Park
• South Boulder Recreation Center (front of building)
• Scott Carpenter Skatepark
• Beach Park - near playground
• East Boulder Community Park - drip around tennis courts
Reduction strate~ies
• Any park area landscape that is irrigated via a drip system for shrubs/trees
and/or perennials and are less than 3 seasons old will be watered no more than 2
days per week, 2 hours per drip zone to preserve the landscape. Staff will be
cognizant of weather conditions to ensure that this landscape is not
overwatered.
• Park landscape areas on a drip system that are over 3 years old may be cut
back up to 50% of normal watering, however, staff will not water each drip
zone for more than 2 days per week, 2 hours per drip zone.
• Park sites with newly planted groupings or individual trees will be hand
watered this season.
2. Park areas with new sod ar seed that has been in pluce for only one growing
season.
• Beach Park
• Eaton Park
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• Section of Admiral Burke Park
• Columbine Fields
Reduction strate~ies
• Plan is to reduce the time to 2 times/week, 15minutes/zone = 30
minutes/zone/week.
3. Park areas with mature landscapes (majority over 3 years old)
*This represents the majority of urban parks
a. Smaller park areas (parks that can be irrigated completely in one nightly cycle)
• Normal summer irrigation schedule - 3- 4 times/week, 20 minutes/zone = 60-SO
minutes/zone/week
b. Lar~e park areas (parks with large acreage that cannot be completely irrigated in one
nightly cycle) ,
• Normal summer irrigation schedule - up to 5 times/week, 20-30 minutes/zone
(Foothills Community Park is irrigated over 3 cycles 6 times/week)
~ c. Park areas used as satellite soccer and baseball fields pro~rammed and scheduled bv
the Department
• Includes soccer fields at East Boulder Community Park, Harlowe Platts, Columbine,
Keewayden and Tantra Parks and ballfields at Aurora 7, North Boulder, Martin and
Arapahoe Ridge Parks.
• Normal summer imgation schedule - 5 times/week, 20 minutes/zone = 100
minutes/zone/week
Reduction strate~ies
• Smaller park areas with mature landscapes and trees - 2 times/week, 15
minutes/zone (instead of 3-4 times/week normal schedule) = 30
minutes/zone/week
• Larger parks areas without ,scheduled activities - irrigate 2 times/week, 15
minutes/zone (instead of up to 5 times/week normal schedule) = 30
minutes/zone/week.
• Specific Park areas used as satellite soccer and baseball fields programmed and
schedule by the Department - irrigate 2 times/week (instead of 5 times/week
normal schedule), /15 minutes/zone = 30 minutes/zone/week.
5. Specialty Areas
a. Flower Pro~,nam - The Department ordered thousands of annual flowers through
Busch Greenhouses in November 2001. Busch has been growing these flowers and
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we were to take delivery on them beginning May 2002. Busch has been contacted
about potentially eliminating most of the order. We are attempting to set a meeting
with Busch during the week of May 13, 2002. Our reduction strategy (see below)
eliminates most annual flower plantings.
b. Pearl Street Mall - no changes are anticipated for the Pearl Street Mall area.
Flowers will be planted as ordered; however, there is a recommendation for
eliminating hanging flower baskets (see reduction strategies below).
c. Columbia Cemeterv - irrigation system consists of ~nanually watering areas with a
hose. Irrigation occurs only during the day; normally takes 5 days to water the
Cemetery by manual system. In 2002, over 4 million gallons of water was used to
irrigate the Cemetery.
d. Andrews Arboretum - 7 irrigation zones, 1-drip zone
• During peak season, watering is done 7 days/week, 30 minutes/zone/week = 210
minutes/zone/week. The zones cover both plant material and a limited amount of
sod, which is not on a separate zone.
• Five zones have new plantings this year, and all the zones have 2-3 year old
planting scattered throughout.
No annual flowers will be planted. All beds will be heavily mulched.
e. Community Gardens
Includes gardens at the Longs Gardens, Foothills Community Park and the
Hickory Park site. „
Each site has a number of hose bibs available for gardeners to water vegetables.
f. Fisher Geranium display at East Boulder Cominunity Park
Pots of geraniums donated by Fisher Geranium Company for public display. There
are 182, 18 inch pots. Fisher brings their customers to the site to see many new
varieties of geraniums. This area is open to the general public for viewing.
Irrigated by a drip irrigation emitter to each geranium pot.
Reduction strate~ies
a. Flower Program
Proposal is to eliminate annual flowers at all parks except for Pearl Street Mall.
All other annual plant beds may be mulched to prevent weeds. Additionally, we
would not remove tulip or other bulbs this summer from the annual beds not
planted to allow for some spring color next year.
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b. Mall
• Recommend eliminating hanging flower baskets from light poles on Pearl Street
Mall. These take more water to maintain and the water drips from the hanging
basket onto hardscaped surfaces.
c. Columbia Cemeterv
• Proposal is to eliminate hand-watering turf in Cemetery, due to the inefficient
and time-consuming methods of providing this water.
d. Andrews Arboretum
• Proposal is to water 2 times/week, IS minutes/zone = 30 minutes/zone/week.
• No annual flowers will be planted. All beds will be heavily mulched.
e. Communitv Gardens
• Contact Growing Gardens (who manages program) and encourage
communication with gardeners to enact water saving plans for the gardens.
• Develop signage about conserving water to be placed on bulletin boards
throughout garden area.
• Check hoses and connections at each garden site.
• Gardeners who use soaker hoses, drip or laser tubing will be permitted to water
no more than 2 days/week, 2 hours per zone.
• Gardeners who depend on overhead or hand watering from a hose will be
limited to watering no more than 2 times/week, 15 minutes/zone.
• Growing Gardens will post a 2-day per week schedule outlining when individual
gardeners are permitted to water.
f. Fisher Geranium Display
• Will keep display for the s~,mmer, as the geranium pots are irrigated via
individual drip emitters to each geranium pot.
6. City Parks irrigated by Ditch shares
• Includes Watson and portions of Foothills Community Park
• Normal watering schedule - 5 times/zone/week
• Reduction strate~v includes irrigating 2 times/week, 15 minutes/zone = 30
minutes/zone per week. This is dependent totally on availability of ditch water.
~ 7. Scott Carpenter Poo!
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• 50 meter pool, 350,000 gallons are used to fill pool, 11,200 square foot surface area,
40 years old that is scheduled to open for the summer on June 8, 2002. The pool uses
approx. 14,000 gallons per day.
• Pool has not been filled for the season but is scheduled to be filled durin~ the next
couple of weeks. ,
• Pool is used by thousands of annual and punch pass patrons, day care, private
schools, private swim clubs and summer camp groups. This is the only long course
pool in the area for Boulder Swimming and Masters.
• Department averages 120 children for lessons Monday-Thursdays so total potential
attendance for the four 8-week sessions could be 480 children for the summer season
of lessons at Scott Carpenter. In addition the Department offers 2 Lifeguard training
classes scheduled at Scott Carpenter which will impact 25-30 people
• Due to the age of Scott Carpenter, the Department believes there is some water loss
from leaks in the pool. Normal operations would show a loss of approximately 5,000
gallons/day. This wouldn't include any loss due to drainage problems or cracks.
• Spruce Pool (which was renovated in 2001) with a surface area of 7,200 square foot
loses approximately 2,OOOgallons/day. Spruce Pool is covered with a retractable
cover each night to reduce heat and water evaporation loss.
• Possible leakage of the Scott Carpenter pool may be due to cracks in the pool shell,
mechanical system leakage (pumps, piping, filters, etc.), and pool drain and
equalizing valve leakage.
• FAM found that approx. 1,500 gallons of water per day runs into the pump pit in the
filter building. A sump pit was installed two years ago to catch water from the pump
house so it wouldn't go into Boulder Creek.
• Based on the evidence of leakage, FAM concludes that the major source of leakage is
from the mechanical system piping or pool drain valve. FAM replaces the equalizing
valves each year and assumes they are not the problem. The piping and drain valve
are located underground at the deep end of the pool on the west side. These items
would normally be replaced when the pool shell was replaced. Once again, further
testing would be required with the pool filled and mechanical system operational to
determine the leak rates at these points.
• Department will investigate the possibility of purchasing a retractable pool tarp for
Scott Carpenter. This could be a major budget expense and the Department is unsure
of availability of this product or the length of time to have it on site. Additional staff
might be needed to open and/or close the facility to properly cover the pool.
Department Recommen~lution:
Based on a prior decision by the City Manager's Office, Scott Carpenter Pool will
remain closed this season. FAM will begin contacting consultants to look at the
issue and make recommendations for fixing the leaks.
D. Public Outreach
1) Recommend that evening or night City workers, including police, fire, environmental
enforcement staff be on the lookout for water spraying onto streets near park areas.
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2) Recommend that Public Works establish a telephone number for citizens to call if
they see irrigation systems running
E. Public Information
We propose that signage be addressed in a couple of areas.
1. Park or facilities irrigated by ditch water - signs will be installed at entrances to, or in
other strategic places (golf course clubhouse) which explains that the facility is
irrigated via non-potable ditch water.
2. Maintenance activities - A reduction in water usage does not relieve us of the
responsibility of performing preventative maintenance on irrigation systems. Staff
regularly needs to activate systems for a short period of time during the day to check
for broken or out of adjustment heads. We anticipate that this type of work would
occur daily somewhere in the system, and we would always have a maintenance staff
person in the park checking on these systems. We envision that some type of
temporary signage needs to accompany the maintenance staff in the field while they
are working on systems.
3. Signage will be developed for most of park areas that explain about the water
restrictions and communicates the impact of the lack of water to the landscape.
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