San Jacinto, CA Landscaping Rules: Rainwater Harvesting (2026)

Rainwater is handled in Section 17.325.130 (Stormwater Management and Rainwater Retention) of the San Jacinto Municipal Code, part of Chapter 17.325, the water efficient landscape chapter the San Jacinto City Council adopted as Ord. 24-13 on 10/1/2024. Subsection A states that implementing stormwater best management practices in the landscape and grading design plans, to minimize runoff and increase on-site rainwater retention and infiltration, is encouraged. Subsection D goes further in tone but not in force: it is strongly recommended that landscape areas be designed for capture and infiltration capacity sufficient to prevent runoff from impervious surfaces (roof and paved areas) from either the one inch, twenty-four-hour rain event or the 85th percentile, twenty-four-hour rain event, and/or additional capacity as required by any applicable local, regional, state or federal regulation.

Subsection E lists recommended elements, including grading impervious surfaces such as driveways to drain to vegetated areas, minimizing impervious area, pervious or porous surfaces such as permeable pavers, directing roof and pavement runoff into planting beds, infiltration beds, swales, basins and drywells, and constructed wetlands. Item 5 names rain gardens, cisterns, and other rain harvesting or catchment systems. The one mandatory element is in subsection C: all planted landscape areas are required to have friable soil to maximize water retention and infiltration. Subsection B sends project applicants to Chapter 13.04, Section 13.44.060 (Discharge of pollutants) and Section 13.44.130 (New development and redevelopment) for the binding stormwater technical requirements.

Captured rainwater also changes which rules apply. Under Section 17.325.030(A)(3), a lot or parcel with less than 2,500 square feet of landscape that meets its entire estimated water use with graywater or stored rainwater captured on site is subject only to the Prescriptive Compliance Option in Section 17.325.180. Section 17.325.160 requires model homes to carry signage that demonstrates low water use approaches such as rainwater catchment systems.