Greensboro, NC Landscaping Rules: Rainwater Harvesting (2026)

Rainwater harvesting is fully legal in Greensboro under North Carolina state law. In 2009, the NC Legislature passed State Law 243, which amended the plumbing code to allow the use of cistern water in both residential and commercial buildings. State law explicitly prohibits any city ordinance from banning the installation and maintenance of cisterns and rain barrel collection systems used for irrigation purposes. However, a city may regulate their installation and maintenance to protect public health and safety and to prevent them from becoming a public nuisance. Rain barrels (typically about 60 gallons) collect water from rooftop downspouts and are suitable for smaller gardens. Cisterns are larger systems that can be buried underground and equipped with pumps for larger irrigation needs. Under NC Building Code Appendix C1 (Rainwater Recycling Systems), harvested rainwater may be used indoors for flushing toilets when properly filtered and plumbed according to code requirements. Greensboro Water Resources encourages rain barrels as part of its water conservation program.