Littleton, CO Landscaping Rules: Rainwater Harvesting (2026)
Key Facts
- Applies to
- Single-family residential units only
- Container limit
- Up to two containers per residential unit
- Storage cap
- Maximum 110 gallons total
- Section
- City Code § 10-1-3.4, Table 10-1-3.4.2
- Legal basis
- Tied to Colorado water law, as amended
Summary
Littleton permits single-family homeowners to install rainwater capture and reuse devices, cisterns, rain filters and underground storage basins, capped at two containers per residential unit with a maximum storage of 110 gallons, consistent with Colorado water law, as one of the city's sustainable development practices.
Inclusion of rainwater capture and re-use devices such as cisterns, rain filters, and underground storage basins is ... permitted for single-family residential units to capture and ... reuse rainwater, with up to two containers per residential unit with a maximum storage of 110 gallons, in accordance with Colorado water law, as amended
Full Breakdown
4, Sustainable Building Design. 1. The permission is narrow by design: it applies specifically to single-family residential units, not multi-family or commercial buildings, and it caps storage at two containers per unit with a combined maximum of 110 gallons. The code ties the allowance explicitly to Colorado water law as amended, a nod to the state's history of tight restrictions on rainwater collection before the legislature relaxed them for small residential systems. A separate, larger-scale practice in the same table credits new buildings whose roofs are configured so at least 50 percent of the roof area is a green roof intended to capture and hold rainwater, which must also comply with the city's Storm Drainage Design and Technical Criteria Manual, showing the code treats small household rain barrels and large-scale green roof stormwater capture as two different tiers of the same water conservation goal.
Violations & Fines
There is no fine for skipping rainwater capture since the practice is optional. A project that claims sustainability-incentive credit for a rainwater capture system but exceeds the two-container, 110-gallon cap, or installs the equipment on a multi-family or commercial site where the practice is not authorized, does not meet the documented standard in Table 10-1-3.4.2 and the credit is not confirmed by the Director.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much rainwater can a Littleton homeowner legally store?
Can a commercial or multi-family property in Littleton install a rain barrel system under this rule?
Is installing a rain barrel required in Littleton?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Littleton
Compare Littleton to another location·View the Colorado landscaping rules overview
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