Lodi, CA Water Use Rules: Recycled Water Rules (2026)

Lodi adopted its current water-efficient landscape requirements by Ordinance No. 1929 in 2016, replacing a 2013 version, and administers them through the Community Development Department as part of every landscape documentation package required for new construction or rehabilitated landscapes of 2,500 square feet or more. 070(Q) sets three rules for recycled water: the installer must design the irrigation system so it can use recycled water now or be converted to it later; the whole system, from mainline to backflow prevention, must satisfy both city code and California state law; and any landscape actually irrigated with recycled water is classified a special landscape area, which drives the water-budget math.

0, effectively permitting heavier irrigation because the water itself is reclaimed rather than potable. The code also directs designers, wherever recycled water is available, to use it as the source for decorative water features rather than drawing on the potable supply. A project applicant submits the water efficient landscape worksheet and irrigation design plan to the city for plan check or design review before a permit issues. Existing landscapes over one acre installed before December 1, 2015 are separately subject to city irrigation audits and surveys to curb water waste, regardless of the water source used.