Lafayette, IN Landscaping Rules: Rainwater Harvesting (2026)
Key Facts
- Rainwater systems
- allowed if maintained (IPMC § 505.5)
- Unmaintained system
- must be repaired or abandoned
- Abandonment
- per Indiana Building Code procedure
- Adopted
- IPMC 2024 ed., Ord. No. 2025-50
- Maximum fine
- $1,000 per IPMC § 104.4
- City permit or size rule
- none specific to rainwater systems
Summary
In the City of Lafayette, Indiana, rainwater collection and conveyance systems are allowed under the city's Property Maintenance Code but must be kept safe and sanitary. IPMC § 505.5, adopted at Lafayette Municipal Code § 13.03.010, requires any nonpotable water reuse or rainwater harvesting system to be maintained or formally abandoned; the code sets no separate permit, size or setback rule for installing one.
505.5 Nonpotable water reuse systems. Nonpotable water reuse systems and rainwater collection and conveyance systems shall be maintained in a safe and sanitary condition. Where such systems are not properly maintained, the systems shall be repaired to provide for safe and sanitary conditions, or the system shall be abandoned in accordance with Section 505.5.1. ... 505.5.1 Abandonment of systems. Where a nonpotable water reuse system or a rainwater collection and distribution system is not maintained or the owner ceases use of the system, the system shall be abandoned in accordance with Indiana Building Code.
Full Breakdown
Chapter 5, Water System, of the 2024 International Property Maintenance Code, adopted by the city at Lafayette Municipal Code § 13.03.010 (Ord. No. 2025-50, Nov. 3, 2025), addresses rainwater collection at § 505.5. It groups rainwater collection and conveyance systems with other nonpotable water reuse systems and requires both to be maintained in a safe and sanitary condition. Where such a system falls out of repair, the owner has two options under the section: repair it to restore safe and sanitary condition, or abandon it under § 505.5.1.
That abandonment section applies equally to a nonpotable water reuse system and to a rainwater collection and distribution system, requiring the shutdown to follow the Indiana Building Code's abandonment procedure once the owner stops maintaining or using the system. Lafayette's municipal code contains no chapter dedicated to rain barrels, cisterns or rainwater harvesting as a standalone activity; the only local rule is this upkeep-or-abandon requirement inside the property maintenance standards. Enforcement runs through the same general Property Maintenance Code process as any other maintenance violation: a notice under § 104.2, referencing an order issued per Lafayette Municipal Code § 13.05.060, and prosecution under Chapter 13.05 if the owner does not act.
Section 104.4 caps the fine at $1,000 for a violation with no separately stated penalty, and treats each day the violation continues as a separate offense.
Violations & Fines
An owner whose rainwater collection or nonpotable water reuse system falls into disrepair faces a notice of violation under IPMC § 104.2. If the system is neither repaired nor abandoned as § 505.5.1 requires, continued noncompliance draws a fine of up to $1,000 under § 104.4, with each additional day counted as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Lafayette require a permit to install a rain barrel or cistern?
What does the city require once a rainwater system is installed?
What happens if an unmaintained rainwater system is not abandoned?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lafayette
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