Jersey City, NJ Water Use Rules: Recycled Water Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- § 345-66, Green Area Ratio standards
- Recycled water threshold
- At least 50% of water feature volume
- Water feature multiplier
- 0.2 GAR credit
- Fill requirement
- Feature filled 6+ months/year
- Mandatory GAR (F-VE zone)
- 0.50 ratio
- Mandatory GAR (F-AE zone)
- 0.25 ratio
Summary
Jersey City awards green area ratio credit for recycled water use rather than banning fresh water outright. Under § 345-66, Green Area Ratio (GAR) standards, a water feature or irrigation system counts toward a project's mandatory GAR score only if it draws at least 50 percent recycled, harvested, or gray water, and fountains or pools must stay filled at least six months a year to qualify.
Water features (fountains, pools, etc.) using at least 50 percent recycled water, harvested water, and/or gray water* — 0.2 [multiplier]... *Water features must be filled a minimum of 6 months/year. ... Harvested stormwater irrigation (see definitions) or graywater irrigation system, using at least 50 percent recycled water, harvested water, and/or graywater* - Items marked with "c" — 0.2
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 52).
Full Breakdown
25 GAR on every major or minor site plan application. ' These multipliers are added to soil depth, tree canopy, green roof, and permeable paving credits, then divided by total lot area to produce the project's GAR score, which a licensed landscape architect must certify before a certificate of occupancy issues. Falling below the minimum GAR after occupancy is itself a violation: § 345-66(F)(4) states 'Should the GAR score fall below the minimum required, a violation may be issued by the Zoning Officer,' and property owners are bound in perpetuity by the maintenance plan filed with the City.
Non-compliance elsewhere in the ordinance triggers a required 'c' variance from the Zoning Board. Because the multiplier is a credit rather than a mandate, a developer can still meet GAR entirely through vegetation, green roofs, or pervious paving without touching recycled water at all, but any project that wants the water-feature or irrigation credit must clear the 50-percent threshold and the six-month fill rule to claim it.
Violations & Fines
Falling below the required GAR ratio after a certificate of occupancy is a violation the Zoning Officer may cite under § 345-66(F)(4); non-compliance at the application stage forces a 'c' variance before the Zoning Board rather than an automatic denial. There is no separate fine schedule for the recycled-water multiplier itself since it is elective, but claiming the credit without meeting the 50-percent/six-month standard would misstate the certified GAR compliance chart a licensed landscape architect must sign.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Jersey City require buildings to use recycled water?
How much recycled water does a fountain need to earn GAR credit?
Where does GAR apply in Jersey City?
What happens if a completed project's GAR score drops?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Jersey City
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