City helps Mutuals with water guidelines
CONSERVATION
Representatives from the City of Seal Beach recently met with the four landscape companies that work in Leisure World to help the community apply the new water restrictions mandated by California. The effort was part of a new water manage- ment committee to save water in the wake of unprecedented drought in California.
Presidents’ Council President Jeri Dolch of Mutual 8 represents LW on the committee.
The touring group was comprised of Dolch, Seal Beach Deputy Director of Public Works Iris Lee, two consultants from the environmental consulting firm of John L. Hunter Associates, City of Seal Beach arborist Joe Talarico and representatives from J& J Landscape, Total Landscape, Four Stars Landscape and Anguiano Lawn Care, among others.
After the tour, city officials provided guidelines specific to each Mutual as to what areas can be watered under California’s Level 2 restrictions. The summary has now been circulated to the Mutuals and GRF.
General guidelines include the following:
• Irrigation has been turned off in areas with turf that is purely ornamental. These areas are mostly confined to building frontage and the ends of buildings without trees, and are noted on the guidelines, which include pictures of sites that can and cannot be watered.
• Trees will continue to be irrigated (e.g., hand water, water bags, sprinkler isolation techniques).
• Sprinklers have been adjusted to prevent irrigation runoff to hard surfaces.
• Landscapers have been instructed to shut off irrigation during—and at least 48 hours after—rainfall.
• Areas with turf that is functional will be irrigated. These areas include greenbelts with benches and shade trees, including green common areas and parkways in Mutuals 1, 7, 8, 9 and 16, among others.
• Plants and shrubs along building frontage will continue to be watered.
To save additional water, the city advises mulching trees to promote water absorption and tree health, instituting an adopt-a-tree program to water trees in each Mutual and ensuring hose nozzles are equipped with a positive shut-off devices.
There is a difference between residential property within Seal Beach and Leisure World. Per state guidelines, the Leisure World community’s common areas are not classified as “residential” when it comes to water restrictions. Instead, Mutuals must abide by rules for common interest developments or HOAs.
Dolch noted that unlike single-family homeowners who are indivdually metered for water, LW has one meter for the entire community. LWers each pay his or her percentage of that bill based on a fraction of the total bill.
Rather than property deeds, LWers own stock in a particular Mutual.
With the stock certificate comes the right to live in the unit the person bought the stock from. For example, a Mutual 8 shareholder owns 1/348 of Mutual 8, she explained.
