York County, SC Landscaping Rules: Rainwater Harvesting (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing sections
- §§ 154.172, 154.174, 154.175
- LID trigger
- 2+ features, 40% water quality volume
- Alternate trigger
- 15% wider riparian buffer
- Height incentive
- Up to 10% taller, non-res/multi-family
- Parking incentive
- Up to 10% fewer required spaces
- Maintenance duty
- Ch. 152 §§ 152.031 et seq.
Summary
York County's land development code names cisterns and rain barrels as an approved Low Impact Development technique, and developers who capture at least 40% of a site's water quality volume through two or more LID features earn height, parking and lot-size incentives under Section 154.174, rewarding water harvesting on new construction.
§ 154.172 LOW IMPACT DEVELOPMENT TECHNIQUES.
(A) Low impact development techniques are typically used in conjunction with on-site detention for larger storm events.
(B) LID techniques may include one or more of the following: ...
(4) Cisterns and water harvesting; ...
§ 154.174 INCENTIVE ALLOWANCES.
(A) Applicability. An applicant may utilize one or more of the incentives specified in this section if:
(1) At least two LID features, using one or more LID techniques specified in § 154.172: Low Impact Development Techniques, are approved as part of the Stormwater Permit issued pursuant to Chapter 152: Stormwater Management and Sediment Control and manage at least 40% of the site water quality volume; or
(2) The required width of a riparian buffer is increased by at least 15%
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-49: Supplement contains: Local legislation current through Ord. 3925, passed 6-16-25).
Full Breakdown
172 of the York County Land Development Code lists cisterns and water harvesting alongside bioretention swales, porous pavement, pocket wetlands and rooftop runoff mitigation as recognized Low Impact Development (LID) techniques, typically paired with on-site stormwater detention for larger storm events. 173, which ties LID installations to the land development manual, Chapter 152 (Stormwater Management and Sediment Control), and the York County Stormwater Management Design Manual. 183, a 10% increase in maximum building height for non-residential, mixed-use or multi-family projects, relaxed parking-area design and up to a 10% cut in the minimum parking ratio, and up to a 10% reduction in minimum lot size for major residential subdivisions.
None of this is mandatory: a homeowner may install a rain barrel or cistern without triggering any of these sections, but a developer chasing the incentive package must run the installation through the Stormwater Permit process administered under Chapter 152.
Violations & Fines
Once installed for incentive credit, LID features including cisterns and rain harvesting systems fall under the ongoing inspection and maintenance duties of Section 154.175, which ties upkeep to Chapter 152, Sections 152.031 et seq. governing stormwater facility maintenance. Neglecting a credited cistern or rain garden can trigger the same enforcement path as any failed stormwater practice, jeopardizing the development's stormwater permit and any height, parking or lot-size incentive that depended on it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does York County allow rain barrels and cisterns on my property?
What do I get for building a cistern-based stormwater system?
Who has to maintain a rainwater harvesting feature after installation?
Can a rainwater harvesting system substitute for a wider stream buffer?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in York County
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