Whittier, CA Landscaping Rules: Rainwater Harvesting (2026)

Rainwater harvesting is encouraged rather than restricted in Whittier. There is no provision in the Whittier Municipal Code prohibiting homeowners from capturing rooftop rainwater in barrels or cisterns for landscape use. At the state level, California's Rainwater Capture Act of 2012 (AB 1750) allows residential, commercial, and governmental property owners to install and operate rainwater capture systems for landscape irrigation and other non-potable uses without obtaining a water-rights permit from the State Water Resources Control Board, provided the captured water is used on the same property where it is collected. The City of Whittier's Water Conservation program directs residents to rebate opportunities offered through regional programs; the Metropolitan Water District's SoCal Water$mart program offers residential rebates that include rain barrels, smart irrigation controllers, and turf replacement. Suburban Water Systems, which serves much of the Whittier area, also points customers to SoCal Water$mart rebates. As with any structure, large above-ground cisterns or any plumbing tie-in to the household water system can trigger building or plumbing permit and backflow-protection requirements, so residents installing more than simple gravity-fed barrels should confirm with the City's Building & Safety Division. For ordinary rooftop rain barrels used for garden watering, no special City permit is published.