City Lawn Sprinkling Policy

The Council meeting of January 15, 2008 adopted a significant change to Brookfield's lawn sprinkling policy. The exact text of the old and new policies follow. Note that obsolete text is shown as a strikethrough text and new clauses are in red.

Former Policy Adopted February 15, 2005	New Policy Adopted January 15, 2008
Purpose: The following policy addresses the conditions under which water sprinkling will be allowed in the City of Brookfield.	Purpose: The following policy addresses the conditions under which water sprinkling will be allowed in the City of Brookfield.
Background: The City of Brookfield water utility provides potable water to properties in the City. Water is critical to the life, health, safety and welfare of the community. This municipal water source is limited in its capacity and can be stressed during periods of dry weather, mechanical failure of the wells/pumps or other emergency. Accordingly, the Utility should identify conditions when water should be conserved so that critical needs can be met during these periods. Water sprinkling activities such as sprinkling water on lawns, gardens, shrubs, trees, and other vegetation, washing vehicles or structures and filling swimming pools are not considered a critical need.	Background: The City of Brookfield water utility provides potable water to properties in the City. Water is critical to the life, health, safety and welfare of the community. This municipal water source is limited in its capacity and can be stressed during periods of dry weather, mechanical failure of the wells/pumps or other emergency. Accordingly, the Utility should identify conditions when water should be conserved so that critical needs can be met during these periods. Water sprinkling activities such as sprinkling water on lawns, gardens, shrubs, trees, and other vegetation, washing vehicles or structures and filling swimming pools are not considered a critical need.
Applicability of this Water Sprinkling Policy: These water sprinkling regulations apply to all properties in the City, whether on private wells or the municipal system.	Applicability of this Water Sprinkling Policy: These water sprinkling regulations apply to all properties in the City, whether on private wells or the municipal system. These restrictions are in force year round and considered the standard practice for water sprinkling.
Water Sprinkling Allowed: Water sprinkling is allowed by properties with even numbered addresses on even numbered days of the year and by properties with odd numbered addresses on odd numbered days of the year.	Water Sprinkling Allowed: Water sprinkling is allowed by properties with even numbered addresses on even numbered days of the year and by properties with odd numbered addresses on odd numbered days of the year before 9 a.m. and after 6 p.m. on the designated day.
Water Sprinkling Restrictions: Water sprinkling may be restricted as determined by the Director of Public Works or his designee based on the need to conserve water resulting from dry conditions, mechanical failure of the wells/pumps or other emergency. The Director of Public Works or his designee shall report these conditions and any water sprinkling restrictions imposed therefrom to the Water Board as soon as possible. The Director of Public Works or his designee shall also have the authority to lift the water sprinkling restrictions when conditions warrant.	Water Sprinkling Restrictions: Water sprinkling may be further restricted as determined by the Director of Public Works or his designee based on the need to conserve water resulting from dry conditions, mechanical failure of the wells/pumps or other emergency. The Director of Public Works or his designee shall report these conditions and any additional water sprinkling restrictions imposed therefrom to the Water and Sewer Board as soon as possible. The Director of Public Works or his designee shall also have the authority to lift the additional water sprinkling restrictions when conditions warrant.
Exceptions: The Utility will allow exceptions to the policy if the property owner contacts the Utility to describe the condition for which an exception is sought and if the request fits into the following categories: · watering of newly established lawns, shrubs, or trees, · irrigation of crops, · commercial car washes that recycle their water, · golf courses that draw water from on-site retention ponds.	Exceptions: The Utility will allow exceptions to the standard water sprinkling restrictions if the property owner contacts the Utility to describe the condition for which an exception is sought and if the request fits into the following categories: · watering of newly established lawns, shrubs, or trees, · irrigation of crops, · commercial car washes that recycle their water, · golf courses that draw water from on-site retention ponds.
Notification of Water Sprinkling Restrictions: The Director of Public Works or his designee shall contact the media to inform the residents of any water sprinkling restrictions imposed and the reason for imposing restrictions.	Notification of Water Sprinkling Restrictions: The Director of Public Works or his designee shall contact the media to inform the residents of additional water sprinkling restrictions imposed and the reason for imposing said restrictions.
This policy shall be reviewed every three years beginning in December, 2004. Drafted: October 5, 2001 Adopted: December 4, 2001 Revised: February 15, 2005	This policy shall be reviewed every three years beginning in December, 2004. Drafted: October 5, 2001 Adopted: January 15, 2008

Why was the sprinkling policy changed?

Water conservation has been recognized as an important issue in suburban Milwaukee. Sprinkling your lawn is clearly not an essential use of water in the way cooking with water or drinking water is.

What are the key changes?

As shown in red above, the major change is the time of day that you are allowed to irrigate your lawn. Where you used to be able to sprinkle for the entire 24 hours of the designated day, you may now sprinkle only from midnight to 9 a.m. and from 6 p.m. to midnight on the designated day.

The policy now explicitly states what was always implicit before - that it applies year round and not just the hottest summer months.

As before, there are special case exceptions such as new plantings.

How is this policy enforced?

In theory, the Water Utility employees will observe the violations, contact the homeowner with a warning, and, if needed, call the police to write a citation. As a practical matter, enforcement will probably be much like building code enforcement - someone will complain and a city employee will be asked to investigate.

Does this apply to properties with private wells?

Yes, it applies to all properties. That includes properties using private wells for sprinkling and even those properties not currently connected to city water. This scope of regulation is allowed under state law.

The theory is that all water sources are connected, often in subtle and mysterious ways. Private wells may stress water sources shared by some of the public wells.

How much water is used for sprinkling, anyway?

More than you think! The following is a water consumption chart for the average Brookfield single family residential household, by quarter. Note the higher usage in warm weather months (July through September). That's the increase due to lawn sprinkling and is the usage being regulated here.

Does this affect the possibility of Brookfield's getting Lake Michigan water?

Maybe. For a community to get permission to use Lake Michigan water it must document that it uses the water it already has wisely. Conservation rules such as this one are part of that demonstration.

Press

MJS - January 18, 2008 - Water restrictions OK'd Brookfield clarifies even-odd schedule, hours sprinkling is allowed

Brookfield News - January 16, 2008 - Council amends sprinkling policy

Waukesha Freeman - January 16, 2008 - Waukesha gets high water marks at conference

The opening sentence is "Waukesha’s water conservation policies are going to act as a role model to other communities once the Great Lakes Water Compact is signed into law, state leaders said Friday."

Notification of Water Sprinkling Restrictions: The Director of Public Works or his designee shall contact the media to inform the residents of additional water sprinkling restrictions imposed and the reason for imposing said restrictions.