City might fine lawn drenchers

June Casagrande

In a never-ending quest to keep crud out of the harbor and ocean,

city officials are turning an eye toward those who until now have

continued to pollute unpunished and often unaware.

On the heels of their efforts to educate residents about

environmentally friendly car washing, city officials are considering

what to do about businesses and residents who over-water lawns.

Assistant City Manager Dave Kiff said he is preparing an item for

the City Council’s consideration that could become the law of the

land. The item will ask whether the city should take steps to educate

and even punish businesses and people who water their lawns so much

that the water runs into the street and the storm drains.

“What we’re looking at would be an ordinance that would allow us,

but not require us, to cite repeat offenders when there’s excessive

irrigation of commercial property or homeowner association property

or an individual’s property that adds a significant amount of

pollution to the storm drains,” Kiff said.

The item could come before the council in January.

Over-irrigation of lawns and landscaping contributes significant

pollution to the bay and ocean because it sends pollutants such as

fertilizers, pesticides and debris into the storm drains, leading

ultimately into the harbor and ocean.

“Over-irrigation is a problem,” said Mayor Steve Bromberg, a

former member of the local water-quality committee that has examined

the effects of over-watering. “Where the water’s not soaking into the

ground any longer, it’s running off into the sidewalk, the street and

the storm drain.”

The ordinance could help the city comply with strict new rules

governing the pollution that enters local waters through storm

drains. In broad terms, those county-imposed rules state that no

pollutants should enter the storm drains. It includes pet waste,

leaves, soap and lawn chemicals.

Water-quality experts say that most people tend to program their

automatic irrigation systems to water lawns more than necessary. They

recommend that if the water runs off the lawn and into the street,

the system be reset to a lower watering level.