Arlington County, VA Landscaping Rules: Rainwater Harvesting (2026)

Arlington County treats rainwater harvesting as a voluntary stormwater-reduction measure that earns a bill credit rather than triggering a permit requirement. County Code § 26-122(B)(2)(ii) sets a Single Family Residential Attached and Detached credit schedule: rainwater collection and/or redirection earns a 5% reduction off the stormwater utility fee, a rain garden earns 10%, tree planting and conservation landscaping each earn 5%, and a permeable driveway, patio or other surface earns 10%. ' No single property, however, can stack more than 35% total off its bill from these voluntary actions combined with any mandatory Land Disturbing Activity credit, per subsection (E).

2-2114(D), to grant full or partial fee waivers to anyone who installs, operates and maintains a stormwater management facility that produces a permanent reduction in stormwater flow or pollutant loading, with the waiver amount tied to the percentage reduction achieved. The Director of the Department of Environmental Services, or a designee, develops and administers the written credit manual that spells out the technical requirements each voluntary action must meet, and the County Board retains authority under § 26-122(F) to modify the credit system at any time, including for people who already hold a credit.

Property owners apply by completing a credit application form in the format the Director approves and submitting it during the credit application period; the Department may require a site inspection to verify the basis for the claim before granting the credit. The section was most recently amended by Ordinance No. 25-16 on October 18, 2025, effective the same day.