Huntington Beach, CA Water Use Rules: Recycled Water Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Trigger threshold
- 2,500 sq ft of new/rehab landscaped area
- Core requirement
- Dual-plumbed purple-pipe reclaimed system
- Exemption authority
- Public Works Water Division, written only
- Single-family restriction
- No hose bibbs or quick couplers allowed
- Enforcing office
- Director of Public Works
Summary
Huntington Beach requires new and rehabilitated landscapes of 2,500 square feet or more to install dual-plumbed reclaimed water irrigation systems using purple pipe, unless the Public Works Water Division grants a written exemption because certified recycled water is not yet available to the site.
D. Reclaimed Water. The installation of reclaimed water irrigation systems (dual distribution systems) shall be required to allow for the current and future use of reclaimed water, unless a written exemption has been granted by the Public Works Water Division, stating that reclaimed water meeting all health standards is not available and will not be available in the foreseeable future. E. The reclaimed water irrigation system shall be designed and operated in accordance with all codes, and shall include but not be limited to the use of purple pipe and fittings for the total reclaimed water system. F. For single-family residential lots with reclaimed water, there shall be no hose bibbs, loose key or otherwise and no quick couplers installed on the reclaimed system.
Full Breakdown
040). 095(D) makes installation of a reclaimed water irrigation system, meaning a dual distribution system, mandatory to allow current and future use of recycled water, and the only way out is a written exemption from the Public Works Water Division stating that recycled water meeting health standards is not available and will not become available in the foreseeable future. 095(E) requires the system to be designed and operated to code using purple pipe and fittings throughout, and directs installers to the City's separate "Rules and Regulations for the Use of Reclaimed Water," kept on file at the Water Department, for technical detail.
095(F) bars hose bibbs, loose-key or otherwise, and quick couplers on single-family residential reclaimed systems, closing off accidental cross-use of non-potable water. 040(C) confirms the separate water-conservation chapter does not govern recycled water use itself. 030), and can promulgate implementing rules as products and procedures change.
Violations & Fines
The Director of Public Works may withhold approval of the landscape documentation package or certificate of completion until the required dual-plumbing and purple-pipe installation is verified (Sections 14.52.030, 14.52.098). Because Chapter 14.52 carries no penalty clause of its own, a violation of its mandatory provisions defaults to the Code's general penalty chapter: a misdemeanor punishable by up to six months in jail and/or a $1,000 fine, or an infraction with fines of $100 for a first offense, $200 for a second, and up to $500 for each later offense within a year (Sections 1.16.030, 1.16.040).
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Huntington Beach require recycled water plumbing in new landscapes?
Can a homeowner get out of installing the recycled water system?
Are hose bibbs allowed on a residential reclaimed water system?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Huntington Beach
California rules heatmap·Compare Huntington Beach to another location·View the California water use rules overview
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