CITY OF FRESNO
CATEGORICAL EXEMPTION
ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT
THE PROJECT DESCRIBED HEREIN IS DETEMINED TO BE CATEGORICALLY
EXEMPT FROM THE PREPARATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL DOCUMENTS
PURSUANT TO ARTICLE 19 OF THE STATE CEQA GUIDELINES.
CONTACT: Cheryl Burns, MPA
City of Fresno – Department of Public Utilities
1626 E Street
Fresno, CA 93706
Phone: 559-621-8628
Email: [email protected]
PROJECT TITLE: Smart Irrigation Controller Direct Install Program
PROJECT LOCATIONS: Eligible residential and commercial properties within the City of Fresno water service area, including
unincorporated County of Fresno islands, where clock
irrigation timers are currently installed.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION: The Smart Irrigation Controller Direct Install Program will allow the City to provide eligible water customers with free smart irrigation controllers on a first -come, first - served basis. To be eligible, customers must have a City of Fresno water account, must have a clock irrigation
timer currently installed, must have Wi-Fi available, and must have use of a smart phone, tablet, or computer.
Through this program, the City expects to purchase
approximately 1, 500 smart irrigation controllers to be distributed and installed through the Smart Irrigation
Controller Direct Install Program . Water Conservation
staff will install the controllers at individual properties and program the timers to maximize the efficiency of the
specific existing irrigation system. Timers will be
distributed equitably across the City’s seven Council
districts. The project is estimated to reduce total potable water consumption citywide by approximately 360 acre-
feet per year (AFY).
The Project is exempt under Section 15301/Class 1 of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines.
Under Section 15301/Class 1, projects are exempt from CEQA requirements when they consist of the operation, repair, maintenance, permitting, leasing, licens ing, or minor alteration of public or private structures, facilities, mechanical equipment, or topographical features, involving negligible or no expansion of existing or former use. Specifically exempt under Section 150301, Subsection (a), is interior or exterior alterations involving such things as interior partitions, plumbing, and electrical conveyances.
The Project described herein solely represents the distribution and installation of smart irrigation controller s at properties with clock irrigation timers c urrently installed. Water Conservation staff will install the controllers at individual properties and program the timers to maximize the efficiency of the specific existing irrigation system, resulting in more efficient landscape irrigation and a reduction in water use. The project is estimated to reduce total potable water consumption citywide by approximately 360 acre- feet per year (AFY).
None of the exceptions to Categorical Exemptions set forth in the CEQA Guidelines, Section 15300.2, apply:
(a) Location The Project is not located in a sensitive environment or an environmental resource of hazardous or critical
concern as designated by federal, state, or local
agencies. The residential and commercial properties
located in the City of Fresno water service area are
not considered a sensitive environment or an
environmental resource.
(b) Cumulative Impact The Project will not have a cumulative negative impact over time that is significant. The conversion
from clock irrigation timers to smart irrigation
controllers will support more efficient landscape
irrigation by decreas ing water use and conserv ing
water resources.
(c) Significant Effect The Project will not have a significant effect on the environment due to unusual circumstances. The
smart irrigation controller replacement follows a
standardized process that is limited to eligible
properties. To be eligible, customers must have a
City of Fresno water ac count, must have clock
irrigation timer currently installed, must have Wi -Fi
available, and must have use of a smart phone,
tablet, or computer.
(d) Scenic Highways The Project will not result in damage to scenic resources, including but not limited to, trees, historic buildings, rock outcroppings, or similar resources,
within a highway officially designated as a state
scenic highway. The Project is not located near
scenic highways.
(e) Hazardous Waste Sites The Project is not located on a hazardous waste site which is included on any list compiled pursuant to
Section 65962.5 of the Government Code. The
residential and commercial properties are not
allowed to be zoned on hazardous waste sites.
(f) Historical Resources The Project will not cause a substantial adverse change in the significance of a historical resource.
The Project is limited to conver sion from clock
irrigation timers to smart irrigation controllers at
residential and commercial properties, which are not
considered historical resources.
As such, a Categorical Exemption has been prepared for the Project.
Date: October 5, 2022
Prepared by: Cheryl Burns, MPA