El Paso, TX Landscaping Rules: Rainwater Harvesting (2026)
Key Facts
- Chapter
- El Paso Grading Code, Ch. 18.44
- Key section
- § 18.44.200(A)(9)
- Status
- Encouraged, not mandatory
- Purpose clause
- § 18.44.020(G)
- Adopted
- Ord. No. 17516, 3-29-2011
- Max fine
- $2,000/day violation
Summary
El Paso doesn't mandate rainwater harvesting, but its Grading Code makes it an explicit, code-recognized design option: § 18.44.200(A)(9) lets any grading plan be engineered to capture and reuse on-site rainwater to cut surface runoff, and the chapter's purpose clause names harvesting as a way to reduce dependence on groundwater and off-site flooding.
9.Rainwater (precipitation) harvesting. Grading plans may be designed to encourage harvesting and use of rainwater within the project site, to reduce surface runoff discharged from project site. ... G.To encourage harvesting and preservation of rainwater within the project site, reduce dependence on groundwater, and reduce potential off-site flooding and erosion.
Full Breakdown
44, the city's Grading Code (Ord. No. 050. 020, Purpose, lists among its goals the intent 'to encourage harvesting and preservation of rainwater within the project site, reduce dependence on groundwater, and reduce potential off-site flooding and erosion,' tying rainwater capture to the same policy goals as erosion control and drainage-path preservation. 8(h), so a harvesting feature built into a hillside grading plan needs the permit official's case-by-case sign-off rather than following a fixed template. 200(D), where it competes with -- and must be reconciled against -- the chapter's mandatory erosion, slope-stabilization and drainage requirements.
Violations & Fines
Grading without following the approved GSP -- including any rainwater-harvesting feature shown on it -- is a misdemeanor under § 18.44.210, punishable by a fine of up to $2,000, with each day of continued violation counted as a separate offense. The permit official can also require additional stabilization or protective measures on-site.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does El Paso require rainwater harvesting on new development?
Where does the rainwater harvesting rule sit in the code?
Can I build a rainwater catchment feature into a hillside grading plan?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in El Paso
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