Tuscaloosa, AL Landscaping Rules: Rainwater Harvesting (2026)

Sec. ' Nothing in this subsection or elsewhere in division 3 sets a minimum cistern size, a required number of rain barrels, or a rebate program; the language is aspirational rather than a numeric mandate. The code does give the concept a formal definition: Sec. 25-31 defines 'rainwater cistern or barrel' as 'a catchment device to capture rainwater from a roof or other surface before it reaches the ground, which may be either above or below ground level,' and separately defines a 'rain garden' as a planted depression designed so that roof, driveway, or other surface runoff soaks into the ground rather than causing flooding.

An applicant who wants credit for a rainwater-capture design beyond what Sec. 25-131(f) encourages can request it through the alternative landscaping plan process in Sec. 25-135, which lets the director of planning approve deviations from the standard planting rules for 'exemplary design opportunities' or choices that 'result in improved environmental quality,' at the director's discretion. These provisions were adopted by Ord. No. 9572, § 2, effective December 17, 2024.