Fontana, CA Water Use Rules: Recycled Water Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing law
- Fontana Municipal Code Sec. 28-108
- Applies to
- New/rehab landscapes 500+ sq ft (2,500+ if rehab)
- ET adjustment factor cap
- 1.0 for recycled-water special landscape areas
- Design standard
- Systems must accommodate future recycled water use
- Related section
- Graywater systems, Sec. 28-109 (Cal. Plumbing Code)
- Adopted
- Ord. No. 1734, November 24, 2015
Summary
Fontana's landscape water conservation ordinance requires irrigation systems be built to accommodate recycled water use now and in the future. Sec. 28-108 treats any landscape actually using recycled water as a special landscape area with a stricter water-budget factor than potable-water landscapes get.
Sec. 28-108. - Recycled water. (a)The installation of recycled water irrigation systems shall allow for the current and future use of recycled water.(b)All recycled water irrigation systems shall be designed and operated in accordance with all applicable local and state laws.(c)Landscapes using recycled water are considered special landscape areas. The ET adjustment factor for new and existing (non-rehabilitated) special landscape areas shall not exceed 1.0.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 64 | Zoning and Development Code: Supplement 17).
Full Breakdown
Chapter 28, Article IV governs landscape design, installation and maintenance for new and rehabilitated projects with 500 square feet or more of landscape area (2,500 square feet for rehabilitated projects), per Sec. 28-92. Within that framework, Sec. 28-108 sets three requirements for recycled water. First, any irrigation system installed must be designed to allow for current and future recycled water use, meaning the piping and components have to be compatible even if the site is not yet connected to a recycled water main. Second, any system that actually uses recycled water must be designed and operated in accordance with all applicable local and state laws, which pulls in California's Title 22 recycled water regulations and the local water purveyor's cross-connection control rules.
0, compared with the lower factor allowed for potable-water landscapes under the article's maximum applied water allowance formula in Sec. 28-116. That higher allowance is the incentive: a project can apply more water through recycled sources without violating the city's water budget cap. Graywater systems are addressed separately in Sec. 28-109 and must conform to the California Plumbing Code, while backflow prevention on any city-maintained landscape needs a licensed certification under Sec. 28-110 before final acceptance.
Violations & Fines
This article's compliance mechanism runs through plan check, the certificate of completion and post-installation irrigation audits under Sec. 28-106 rather than a standalone fine schedule; a project that fails to document recycled water design compliance can be held up at final landscape inspection and denied a certificate of occupancy under Sec. 28-117 until the irrigation, grading and planting match the approved plans.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Fontana require new landscaping to use recycled water?
What water-use benefit comes with using recycled water?
Which projects have to comply with the recycled water design rule?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Fontana
California rules heatmap·Compare Fontana to another location·View the California water use rules overview
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