Alachua County is expanding the Landscape Irrigation Efficiency and Design Code into the municipalities within Alachua County starting October 1, 2019 and has added additional water saving provisions.
For homes with an irrigation system, the majority of water used is going to landscapes. “We all need to do our part to use less water every day,” said Stacie Greco, Water Resources Program Manager with the Alachua County Environmental Protection Department. She continued, “One of the best ways to make sure we have enough groundwater to replenish our springs and for future generations is to reduce landscape irrigation and to ensure that irrigation systems are designed as efficiently as possible.”
All new irrigation systems installed in unincorporated Alachua County after April 2016 have been going through a County approval process, including an application fee ($50 for residential and $100 for non-residential) and an irrigation drawing. These requirements will apply within the municipalities starting October 1, 2019. The inspection fee ($85 for residential and $170 for non-residential) is waived for irrigation professionals who are qualified to self-inspect through the State Irrigation License or Florida Water Star (FWS) Accredited Professional status. A free FWS Accredited Professional training will be held on August 15 with testing on August 16 and August 21. To register, contact Merry Mott with the Florida Nursery, Growers, and Landscape Association at mmott@fngla.org.
All new irrigation systems installed after October 1 must have a soil moisture sensor or a weather based (smart) controller to limit water waste by bypassing irrigation when we are receiving sufficient rainfall. A free training and demonstration event on these water saving devices will be held in Gainesville on September 11 from 2 – 6 p.m. To register, contact the Florida Irrigation Society at info@fisstate.org or 727-209-1595.
Click to learn more about the Code and to access the Irrigation Professional Portal to submit documents and pay fees entirely online. Homeowners installing their own systems must also comply with the Code and are encouraged to call Water Resources staff at 352-264-6800 for assistance. For more information, contact Stacie Greco at Sgreco@alachuacounty.us.