Arcadia, CA Water Use Rules: Recycled Water Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Design rule
- Allow current and future use of recycled water
- Legal standard
- Design and operate under all applicable local and State laws
- Water budget
- Recycled water landscapes are Special Landscape Areas, ETAF up to 1.0
- Standard factors
- 0.55 residential, 0.45 non-residential
- Graywater
- Must conform to California Plumbing Code (Title 24, Part 5, Chapter 16)
- Decorative features
- Use recycled water where available
Summary
In the City of Arcadia, California, Section 7554.8 requires recycled water irrigation systems to allow for current and future use of recycled water and to be designed and operated under all applicable local and State laws. Landscapes using recycled water count as Special Landscape Areas with an ET Adjustment Factor of no more than 1.0.
A.Recycled Water.1.The installation of recycled water irrigation systems shall allow for the current and future use of recycled water.2.All recycled water irrigation systems shall be designed and operated in accordance with all applicable local and State laws.3.Landscapes using recycled water are considered Special Landscape Areas. The ET Adjustment Factor for new, and existing and non-rehabilitated Special Landscape Areas shall not exceed 1.0.B.Graywater systems promote the efficient use of water and are encouraged to assist in on-site landscape irrigation. All graywater systems shall conform to the California Plumbing Code (Title 24, Part 5, Chapter 16) and any applicable local ordinance standards. Refer to Section 7554.3.D for the applicability of this ordinance to landscape areas less than 2,500 square feet with the Estimated Total Water Use met entirely by graywater.
Full Breakdown
Section 7554.8.A of the Arcadia Municipal Code sets three requirements. The installation of recycled water irrigation systems shall allow for the current and future use of recycled water. Systems must be designed and operated in accordance with all applicable local and State laws. Landscapes using recycled water are considered Special Landscape Areas, and the ET Adjustment Factor for new, and existing and non-rehabilitated Special Landscape Areas shall not exceed 1.0.
That 1.0 ceiling sits above the standard factors. Section 7554.1(s) sets the ET adjustment factor at 0.55 for residential areas and 0.45 for non-residential areas, and Section 7554.4.D.1 applies those factors to the water budget exclusive of Special Landscape Areas. Section 7554.1(rrr) defines a Special Landscape Area as an area dedicated solely to edible plants, recreational areas, areas irrigated with recycled water, or water features using recycled water.
Section 7554.1(jjj) defines recycled water, reclaimed water and treated sewage effluent water as treated or recycled waste water of a quality suitable for non-potable uses such as landscape irrigation and water features, and states that it is not intended for human consumption. Plans must show it: Section 7554.4.B.5 requires the landscape design plan to identify areas irrigated with recycled water, and Section 7554.5.B.5 requires the irrigation design plan to cover recycled water irrigation systems as specified in Section 7554.8.A. Section 7554.4.A.2.b says that where available, recycled water shall be used as a source for decorative water features.
Graywater is covered in subsection B. Graywater systems promote the efficient use of water and are encouraged for on-site landscape irrigation, and all of them shall conform to the California Plumbing Code (Title 24, Part 5, Chapter 16) and any applicable local ordinance standards. Section 7554.1(y) defines graywater as untreated wastewater not contaminated by any toilet discharge, including wastewater from bathtubs, showers, bathroom washbasins, clothes washing machines and laundry tubs, and excluding kitchen sinks and dishwashers. Section 7554.3.C sends lots with less than 2,500 square feet of landscape that meet their entire water requirement with graywater or captured rainwater to the prescriptive compliance option.
Violations & Fines
Section 7554.8 attaches no penalty of its own. Compliance is checked at plan check: the City approves or denies the Landscape Documentation Package under Section 7554.7.A, and the irrigation design plan must show recycled water systems under Section 7554.5.B.5 and bear the signature of a licensed landscape architect, certified irrigation designer, licensed landscape contractor or other authorized designer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are landscapes irrigated with recycled water treated differently in Arcadia?
Is recycled water treated as drinking water under the code?
What graywater standard applies in Arcadia?
Must decorative fountains and ponds use recycled water?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Arcadia
California rules heatmap·Compare Arcadia to another location·View the California water use rules overview
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