Cleveland, OH Landscaping Rules: Rainwater Harvesting (2026)

Ohio is an unrestricted rainwater harvesting state, meaning property owners may collect rooftop runoff without a permit for non-potable outdoor uses such as garden watering, lawn irrigation, and ornamental ponds. Cleveland Codified Ordinances do not prohibit or regulate residential rain barrels, and the city encourages their use as part of green stormwater infrastructure initiatives. The Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District (NEORSD) offers a stormwater fee credit for homeowners who install qualifying rain barrels or cisterns that reduce runoff entering the combined sewer system. Typical residential setups use 50 to 100 gallon barrels connected to downspouts with overflow routed to a vegetated area. Larger cisterns that store more than a few hundred gallons or that are connected to indoor plumbing may trigger plumbing permit requirements through the Ohio Building Code, including backflow prevention where municipal water is used as a backup supply. Mosquito control is addressed by keeping barrels sealed with fine mesh. Potable use of harvested rainwater is generally not permitted without treatment meeting Ohio EPA standards.