The City of Ripon is offering loans to non-residential property owners to install on-site non-potable water service connections.

The purpose for this type of irrigation system is for the maintenance of non-functional turf.

“In order to help businesses mitigate being unable to irrigate non-functional turf, which creates dry, dead grass and is a potential fire hazard, the Ripon City Council directed staff to bring back a loan program to assist businesses to connect to the City’s non-potable water,” said City Administrator Kevin Werner at the Aug. 9 meeting.

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed an executive order back in March that tasked the State Water Resources Control Board to consider issuing certain mandates with regards to water conservation and other such restriction due to the severe drought conditions.

This included prohibiting potable water use for “non-functional turf” – the definition of that is grass that’s solely ornamental and not regularly used by people for recreational purposes or community events – at commercial, industrial and institutional sites.

Non-potable is water that’s not treated to drinking standards nor meant for consumption.

Council member Leo Zuber noted that a significant number of properties have reasonable access to the City’s non-potable system.

Werner confirmed that, saying there are 16 businesses in town with non-functional turf. Of that, nine of them have reasonable access to the City’s non-potable system and the remaining seven would need to modify their landscaping.

The loan program is available to property owners of non-residential properties – commercial or industrial businesses – within city limits, with non-functional turf greater than 500 square feet.

Property owners with a non-potable water main line located in the public right of way in front of their property may receive a loan to construct the non-potable water service to connect to the on-site irrigation system.

They would be required to obtain a no-cost encroachment permit and hire a license and bonded contractor to perform the work in accordance with the City of Ripon standards and specifications.

Those who are considering replacing the non-functional turf with water efficient landscaping would have to comply with the State of California Mandatory Water Efficiency Landscaping Ordinance – they could also receive a loan to make these improvements.

The terms of the loan would be for the actual cost of improvements with a maximum of $30,000 – five years with an interest rate at 2 percent.

According to staff report: “If every eligible non-residential property owner was to take out the full loan amount available, the City’s Water Enterprise Capital Account would issue $480,000 in loans.”

The current balance of this fund is $7.2 million.