Westminster, CA Landscaping Rules: Rainwater Harvesting (2026)
Key Facts
- Qualifying landscape area
- under 2,500 sq ft
- Qualifying water source
- graywater or on-site stored rainwater capture
- Coverage required
- 100% of estimated landscape water use
- Compliance reduced to
- Appendix A only, not full Handbook
- Governing section
- § 17.310.010(F)(2)
Summary
Westminster rewards on-site rainwater capture: under § 17.310.010(F)(2), a lot or parcel with less than 2,500 square feet of landscape area that meets its entire estimated water requirement through stored rainwater capture (or graywater) is subject only to Appendix A of the city's Handbook of Water Efficiency Landscape Measures, skipping the full landscape water-efficiency review.
Graywater Use. New or rehabilitated projects using treated or untreated graywater or rainwater capture on site, any lot or parcels within the project that has less than 2,500 square feet of landscape area and meets the lot or parcel's landscape water requirement (estimated total water use) entirely with the treated or untreated graywater or through stored rainwater capture on-site is subject only to Appendix A of the City's adopted Handbook of Water Efficiency Landscape Measures.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4982734; v10 updated 2026-06-10).
Full Breakdown
010(E). Subsection (F) carves out two limited-compliance tracks, one for cemeteries and, in (F)(2), one for graywater and rainwater capture. Under that provision, if a lot or parcel has less than 2,500 square feet of landscape area and meets its entire estimated landscape water requirement, its total calculated water use, through treated or untreated graywater or through stored on-site rainwater capture, the project is subject only to Appendix A of the Handbook rather than the full set of measures. This functions as a real incentive: a homeowner who plumbs a cistern or rainwater capture system to fully irrigate a landscaped area sidesteps the heavier documentation and design review the size thresholds in (E) would otherwise trigger.
005(D) names 'water recycling features' among the tools the city wants used to conserve water. The exemption is all-or-nothing: it only applies where the captured rainwater or graywater covers 100 percent of that lot's calculated landscape water requirement, not a partial offset, and only to the specific parcel actually served by the captured water.
Violations & Fines
This provision is a compliance relief, not a mandate, so there is no separate fine for capturing rainwater. But claiming the reduced Appendix A track while the captured water doesn't actually cover the full landscape water requirement is a misrepresentation enforced under Chapter 17.310 like any other zoning violation, subject to the citywide general penalty, Municipal Code § 1.12.010: a misdemeanor punishable by up to $1,000 and six months in jail, an infraction fine of $100 to $500, or an administrative citation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Westminster give any credit for rainwater harvesting?
Do I still need a full landscape plan if I install a rainwater capture system?
What if my rainwater system only covers part of my irrigation needs?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Westminster
California rules heatmap·Compare Westminster to another location·View the California landscaping rules overview
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Rainwater Harvesting in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Orange County handle rainwater harvesting.