Common use of Watering Clause in Contracts

Watering. i. Adequate watering of the root ball is the most important maintenance practice in order to ensure establishment of newly planted trees. Failure to provide adequate water prevents root growth. ii. The objective of watering is to deliver water to the root zone. Foliar applications are not acceptable. Water runoff is not acceptable. If water is running off rather than penetrating soil surface, reduce water pressure. iii. The Proposer shall at minimum water trees as scheduled. Rainfall will not supplant the requirement to perform watering. During periods of extreme heat or drought the Proposer is encouraged to provide additional watering events to ensure that trees survive. iv. The watering schedule shall be: 1. Year 1 and Year 2: Minimum once per week from May 1 – October 15 for a total of 24 visits each year (44 visits over the course of both years). 2. Year 3: Minimum every other week from May 1– October 15 for a total of 12 visits. 3. Year 4: Only applies to a 4-year establishment period. Minimum every other week June 15 – September 1 for a total of 6 visits. 4. The City PM may request additional watering visits at the scheduled rate. Additional watering events may be before May 1, during the regular schedule, or after October 15. v. Watering shall consist of the placement of at least 20 gallons of water per tree per watering episode. The City PM may reduce the required volume of water required per watering event. Within 24 hours, water shall penetrate to at least a 12” depth for all planted trees. The Proposer shall confirm that watering operations are meeting this target depth. vi. The following methods are acceptable. The City PM may require the Proposer to use one of the following watering methods for specific projects. 1. Truck with water tank and pump: The water tank shall be clean, and the pump shall be in good working condition, without leaking connections. Tanks previously used for chemical application are strictly prohibited. The truck shall remain on paved areas at all times, unless approved by the City. If approved to travel on turf, and turf is damaged, repair work will be the financial responsibility of the Proposer as described under Protection of Existing Features above. The hose shall accommodate distance from truck to watering location. A watering wand is required at the end of the hose. Buckets may also be used. 2. Pressurized deep watering probe: Use as many injection sites as necessary within the root zone to evenly saturate soil to a depth of 12”. Injection sites should be at least 12” from trunk of tree and shall not be placed directly within the root ball, but in the transition zone between the root ball and undisturbed soil. Care shall be taken to minimize root damage. 3. Watering bags: Bags shall hold minimum of 20 gallons of water. A properly functioning water bag should drain within 8 hours. If drainage holes are blocked, Proposer is responsible to clean bag or replace at the Proposer’s expense. Fill the bag to capacity. Water bags may remain on tree while watering operations are required. Water bags shall be removed by October 15 annually. vii. The City shall perform inspections based on the Proposer-provided schedule in order to ensure that watering has been performed according to the schedule.