Carroll County, MD Landscaping Rules: Rainwater Harvesting (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- § 151.036(B)(2)(b)
- Applies to
- Unincorporated Carroll County only
- Practice type
- Microscale nonstructural ESD practice
- Homeowner exemption
- Additions & disturbances under 5,000 sq ft
- Recording requirement
- Must be recorded in Land Records
- Max criminal fine
- $50,000 plus up to 1 year jail
- Civil penalty
- Up to $10,000 per day
Summary
Carroll County doesn't license a backyard rain barrel, but its stormwater code names rainwater harvesting as an approved way to meet development stormwater rules. Section 151.036 lists it as a recognized "microscale" practice, and the chapter reaches only the unincorporated county, not towns like Westminster with their own programs.
(b) Microscale (nonstructural). Microscale practices may only be applied to manage the drainage from limited amounts of impervious surfaces. The Manual and Supplement list the restrictions on their use in the county. 1. Swales; 2. Landscape infiltration; 3. Micro-bioretention; 4. Rain gardens; 5. Enhanced filters for divisions (B)(2)(b)3 and (B)(2)(b)4 above; 6. Rainwater harvesting; 7. Submerged gravel wetlands; and 8. Infiltration berms.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-15: Supplement contains: Local legislation current through July 30, 2026).
Full Breakdown
035. 036(B)(2)(b) lists rainwater harvesting alongside swales, landscape infiltration, micro-bioretention, rain gardens, submerged gravel wetlands and infiltration berms, and states that microscale practices "may only be applied to manage the drainage from limited amounts of impervious surfaces," with the restrictions on their use spelled out in the Maryland Stormwater Design Manual and the county's own Supplement, published by the Carroll County Bureau of Resource Management. 001(B); incorporated municipalities inside Carroll County run their own separate stormwater programs. 016 exempts additions to existing single-family detached homes and any project that disturbs less than 5,000 square feet of land.
036(B)(5) requires the practice to be recorded in the county's Land Records and kept unaltered by later property owners, with prior county approval needed before it can be modified. 001(B).
Violations & Fines
Failing to install or maintain an approved stormwater practice, including a rainwater harvesting system credited on an approved plan, is a misdemeanor under § 151.999(A): a conviction carries a fine of up to $50,000, imprisonment up to one year, or both, and each day a violation continues is a separate offense. The county may also seek a civil penalty of up to $10,000 per day under § 151.999(B), plus injunctive relief or a corrective-work lien against the property if a Notice of Violation isn't resolved within 30 days.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Carroll County require a permit for a residential rain barrel?
What does § 151.036 actually say about rainwater harvesting?
Does this rule apply inside Westminster or other towns in the county?
What happens if an approved rainwater harvesting system is altered without approval?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Carroll County
Compare Carroll County to another location·View the Maryland landscaping rules overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.