Whittier, CA Landscaping Rules: Rainwater Harvesting (2026)
Key Facts
- Local citation
- WMC § 13.43.200
- Status
- Encouraged, not mandatory
- Hard requirement
- Friable soil in all planted areas (§13.43.200(C))
- Design storm target
- 1-inch/24-hr or 85th-percentile/24-hr event
- Documentation duty
- Must show capacity if a system is installed (§13.43.100(B)(11))
Summary
Whittier's landscaping code encourages, but does not mandate, rainwater capture. Section 13.43.200 recommends rain gardens, cisterns, and other harvesting systems, and sets a one-inch, 24-hour storm capture target for landscape projects covered by the water-efficient landscaping chapter.
A.Stormwater management practices minimize runoff and increase infiltration which recharges groundwater and improves water quality. Implementing stormwater best management practices into the landscape and grading design plans to minimize runoff and to increase on-site rainwater retention and infiltration are encouraged. ... C.All planted landscape areas are required to have friable soil to maximize water retention and infiltration. ... E.It is recommended that stormwater projects incorporate any of the following elements to improve on-site stormwater and dry weather runoff capture and use:...5.Incorporate rain gardens, cisterns, and other rain harvesting or catchment systems.
Full Breakdown
43, Water Efficient Landscaping. Subsection A states that implementing stormwater best management practices in the landscape and grading design 'to minimize runoff and to increase on-site rainwater retention and infiltration are encouraged,' language that is aspirational rather than mandatory. 100(A)(3). Subsection D recommends designing capture and infiltration capacity sufficient to prevent runoff from impervious surfaces from either the one-inch, 24-hour rain event or the 85th-percentile, 24-hour rain event. 100(B)(11), any rain harvesting or catchment technologies it does use, along with their 24-hour retention or infiltration capacity, so a project that chooses to install a cistern or rain garden has to document it even though installing one is not required.
The chapter applies to new landscapes of 500 square feet or more and rehabilitated landscapes of 2,500 square feet or more needing a building or landscape permit, plan check, or design review.
Violations & Fines
Because Section 13.43.200's rainwater-harvesting language is recommended rather than required, choosing not to install a cistern or rain garden is not itself a violation. Failing to keep planted areas friable under subsection C, or failing to document an installed rain-harvesting system's capacity under Section 13.43.100(B)(11), falls under the chapter's general misdemeanor penalty in Section 13.43.060.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is rainwater harvesting required in Whittier?
What is the one requirement that does apply?
Do I have to tell the city if I install a rain garden?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Whittier
California rules heatmap·Compare Whittier to another location·View the California landscaping rules overview
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Rainwater Harvesting in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Los Angeles County handle rainwater harvesting.