Clayton County, GA Landscaping Rules: Rainwater Harvesting (2026)

For anyone operating a permitted Urban Garden or Market Garden, whether on a 2-acre-plus agricultural parcel, an undeveloped residential lot, an institutional lot tied to a school or house of worship, or a non-residential lot, Sec. 41 lists rain barrel systems alongside hoop-houses, greenhouses, trellises, raised beds, tool sheds, restroom facilities and compost bins as structures the garden is allowed to include. Anyone applying for the required garden permit must submit a site plan that shows the garden's source of water, including the location of any rainwater recycling, meaning rain barrel, system, alongside the property lines, adjoining owners, plot layout and any compost areas.

The application also needs proof of ownership or a notarized lease authorization, and the site must be designed so water does not pool and cause erosion or send sediment onto a neighboring lot. Separately, under the county's Green Infrastructure/Low Impact Development standards in Article IX of the general Code, the county's technical review committee considers rain gardens, rain barrels and other residential rain collection practices as one of twenty-one design options developers can propose for new subdivisions and redevelopment, alongside pervious paving, bio-retention islands and green roofs, subject to review at the predesign stage before any permits are issued.