Showing ordinances that apply to Sandia Heights, NM
Sandia Heights is an unincorporated community (population 3,273) in Bernalillo County, New Mexico. Because Sandia Heights is not an incorporated city, it does not have its own municipal code. Instead, Bernalillo County ordinances apply directly to properties here. The rainwater harvesting rules below are the ones that govern your area.
Rainwater harvesting is encouraged in Bernalillo County. New Mexico Office of the State Engineer permits residential collection without restriction. ABQ Water Utility offers rain barrel rebates up to $100. No plumbing permit required unless connecting to potable plumbing.
New Mexico explicitly supports rainwater harvesting for residential use. The Office of the State Engineer treats roof-captured rainwater as exempt from water-rights requirements when used for the same property. Bernalillo County and Albuquerque encourage harvesting through rebate programs — the ABQ Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority (ABCWUA) offers up to $100 rebate for rain barrels and larger rebates for cisterns under the Xeriscape/Water Smart program. Rain barrels and cisterns up to 5,000 gallons typically require no building permit. Cisterns connected to indoor plumbing or used for potable purposes require a plumbing permit and cross-connection prevention. IDO §14-16-5-4 landscape standards actively encourage harvesting as part of water-conservation landscape credits. In this high desert climate (average rainfall 9 inches/year), harvested water is valuable for supplementing xeriscape irrigation.
No penalties for standard residential collection. Large cistern without plumbing permit (when connected to indoor plumbing): $100 to $500. Cross-connection violations (potable backflow risk): ABCWUA enforcement up to $1,000.
See how Sandia Heights's rainwater harvesting rules stack up against other locations.
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