Shasta County, CA Landscaping Rules: Rainwater Harvesting (2026)

There is no Shasta County ordinance prohibiting rooftop rainwater collection, and state law affirmatively allows it. The Rainwater Capture Act of 2012 (AB 1750; Water Code Part 2.4, Sections 10573 et seq.) provides that the use of rainwater collected from rooftops does not require a water-right permit from the State Water Resources Control Board under Water Code Section 1201. A 'rain barrel system' is defined as one that does not use electricity or a pump and is not connected to a potable water supply. In practice, residential rain barrels and small cisterns capturing roof runoff for outdoor, non-potable irrigation typically do not require a building or plumbing permit. Larger storage systems, those that are plumbed into a structure, pressurized, or intended for indoor or potable use, can trigger California Plumbing Code review and a Shasta County building permit, and installations should follow setback, overflow, mosquito-control and backflow-protection best practices. Captured rainwater also counts toward MWELO compliance: landscapes meeting their water needs entirely with captured rainwater or graywater receive favorable treatment under the state ordinance. Owners planning anything beyond simple barrels should confirm requirements with the Shasta County Building Division.