higgledy wrote:
My town's new in-ground irrigation ORDINANCE:
THE PERMIT FEE SHALL BE TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS ($200.00). ADDITIONALLY
THE APPLICANT SHALL OBTAIN A PLUMBING PERMIT FROM FREDERICK COUNTY.
They even specify the controller:
SUCH TECHNOLOGICAL DEVICES, SOMETIMES REFERRED TO AS "SMART
CONTROLLERS", SHALL INCLUDE:
(A) RAIN SENSORS WHICH PREVENT THE USE OF THE SYSTEMS DURING RAIN
OR OTHER PRECIPITATION EVENTS.
(B) GROUND SENSORS WHICH MEASURE THE MOISTURE IN THE SOIL TO AVOID
UNNECESSARY USE OF THE SYSTEM WHEN THE GROUND MOISTURE IS HIGH; AND
A. PROGRAMMABLE TIMER SYSTEMS TO PREVENT THE USE OF THE
SYSTEM DURING TIMES OF WATER RESTRICTIONS AS ESTABLISHED BY ORDINANCE
OR BY THE BURGESS AND COMMISSIONERS PURSUANT TO TITLE 13 OF THIS CODE.
B. INSTALLER SHALL PROVIDE EVIDENCE OF TRAINING OR
CERTIFICATION FOR THE DESIGN AND INSTALLATION OF IRRIGATION SYSTEMS.
Not one of the specifications for the controller seem out of line to me,
at least if the government has an interest in conserving a resource
which might be scarce such as water. The need for a permit seems as
reasonable as any such requirements ever does and perhaps even more so
with a modification that attaches to the public water supply and which,
if installed improperly, can contaminate that supply. The only thing
which might be out of line is the $200 fee and that would probably
depend on what the general permit fees are for other construction. If
all other permits cost $10 then $200 is outrageous but if the average
fee is $200 then this particular one is fine.
I can see one circumstance which wasn't mentioned and which may make a
major difference: if the irrigation is being done with water from a well
on the owner's property or which is gathered from rainfall on that
property then permitting is probably excessive.
There is a cost beyond the obvious when one decides to live in a
built-up area -- you are at the mercy of your neighbors and if the
neighbors decided that tight governmental controls are good then you are
virtually powerless to stop them.
--
John McGaw
[Knoxville, TN, USA]
http://johnmcgaw.com