Long Beach, CA Water Use Rules: Recycled Water Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- LBMC § 21.42.030.A.9
- Applies to
- Decorative fountains, ponds, water features
- Rule
- Recirculating system; recycled water where available
- Review
- Development Services Landscape Document Package
- MWELO trigger
- 500 sq ft new / 2,500 sq ft rehab landscape
- Enforcement
- Infraction procedure under LBMC § 1.32.060
Summary
Long Beach's citywide landscaping code requires decorative water features like fountains and ponds to run on recirculating systems, and mandates recycled water as the source whenever a recycled-water connection is available. The standard sits in LBMC § 21.42.030.A.9, part of the General Requirements every zoning district must meet before Development Services signs off on a Landscape Document Package.
The following requirements shall apply to all zoning districts: ... 9.Recirculating water systems shall be used with decorative water features. Where available, recycled water shall be used as a water source.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Municipal Code: Supplement 52 Update 1 | City Charter: Supplement 5).
Full Breakdown
030's General Requirements apply to all zoning districts and set the water-conservation standards a landscape project must satisfy before it can pull a building permit. 9 zeroes in on decorative water features: any fountain, pond or similar display must use a recirculating system rather than a single-pass fixture, and where a recycled-water source is available to serve the site, that water, not potable water, has to supply it. The rule doesn't stand alone in the section. 10 bars mixing high- and low-water-use plants on one irrigation valve.
C-D. After installation, the landscape professional of record must file a signed Certificate of Completion with Development Services, and the City withholds the Certificate of Occupancy until that certificate is deemed approved. The recycled-water duty is conditional: "where available" means a parcel with no recycled-water main isn't forced to build new recycled infrastructure, but where the Water Department's recycled system reaches the site, potable water may not substitute for the feature.
Violations & Fines
Section 21.42.030 is one of the Title 21 sections the City Council designated under LBMC § 1.32.060 for enforcement as an infraction under California Penal Code § 17, once the administrative effective date the ordinance references is set, rather than the Code's default misdemeanor penalty. Short of citation, Development Services can withhold plan-check approval, the Certificate of Completion, or the Certificate of Occupancy until the recirculating, recycled-water feature is installed as approved.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to use recycled water for a backyard fountain in Long Beach?
Which projects have to comply with this standard?
What happens if I install a single-pass fountain instead of a recirculating one?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Long Beach
California rules heatmap·Compare Long Beach to another location·View the California water use rules overview
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