Glenn County, CA Landscaping Rules: Rainwater Harvesting (2026)

A search of the Glenn County Code finds no provisions addressing rainwater harvesting, rain barrels, cisterns, catchment systems or rooftop runoff capture for landscape use, so there is no county permit or restriction specific to it. In the absence of a county rule, California state law applies. The California Rainwater Capture Act of 2012 allows residential, commercial and governmental landowners to install and operate rainwater-capture systems for onsite use, and the State Water Resources Control Board has confirmed that capturing rainwater from rooftops generally does not require a water-right permit. Simple rain barrels collecting roof runoff are typically exempt from plumbing permits, while larger or plumbed cisterns and any system connected to a building's plumbing must meet the California Plumbing Code and may need a building permit from Glenn County Building. Because Glenn County overlaps Sacramento Valley farmland and Coast Range foothills, anyone planning a large agricultural catchment or a system that diverts from a stream or creek (rather than a rooftop) should confirm whether a State Water Board diversion right is needed. For routine residential rain barrels used on a home landscape, no county approval is required.