El Cajon, CA Water Use Rules: Recycled Water Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Trigger
- Recycled water available in street frontage
- Requirement
- Use recycled water for irrigation
- Pipe color
- Purple, dual distribution system
- Water credit
- ETAF of 1.0
- Governing section
- § 17.195.190
Summary
If recycled water runs in the street in front of a covered property, El Cajon requires the project to use it for irrigation, not potable water, under Municipal Code Section 17.195.190. Recycled-water users must install a purple-piped dual distribution system and get credit toward their water budget through a 1.0 evapotranspiration adjustment factor.
A. A person who obtains a permit for a project that is subject to this chapter shall use recycled water for irrigation if recycled water is available in the street in front of their property from the water purveyor who supplies water to the property. B. A person using recycled water shall install a dual distribution system for water received from a public water purveyor. Pipes carrying recycled water shall be purple. C. A person who uses recycled water under this section shall be entitled to an ETAF of 1.0.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4940073; v10 updated 2026-06-09).
Full Breakdown
' Where recycled water is used, the project must install a dual distribution system separating it from the potable supply, and 'pipes carrying recycled water shall be purple,' matching the standard color code for identifying non-potable lines. 270, which effectively raises the amount of water the landscape is allowed to budget for compared with a potable-only project. The section closes with a reminder in subsection D that using recycled water doesn't excuse compliance with 'all State and local laws and regulations related to recycled water use,' meaning county health and cross-connection rules still apply on top of the city's landscape ordinance. 240, since the water efficient landscape worksheet required there must reflect whether recycled water is available and used.
Violations & Fines
A covered project that fails to connect to available recycled water for irrigation, or that pipes it through a standard, non-purple distribution system, does not meet Section 17.195.190 and can be denied approval of its Landscape Documentation Package or certificate of completion under Sections 17.195.240 and 17.195.330 until corrected.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to use recycled water even if my project is small?
What does using recycled water get me under the ordinance?
Can I run recycled water through my existing irrigation pipes?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in El Cajon
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