Menifee, CA Water Use Rules: Recycled Water Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- MMC § 15.04.040, Landscape Water Use Efficiency
- Adopted by
- Ordinance 2009-61, passed November 3, 2009
- Coverage threshold
- New landscapes of 2,500 sq ft or more
- Common areas
- Must use non-potable water when available
- Disclosure required
- Documentation package must state recycled water plans
Summary
Menifee's landscape water-efficiency ordinance actively pushes recycled water: any new or rehabilitated landscape covered by MMC Chapter 15.04 that plans to irrigate with recycled water must coordinate with the local water purveyor early in design, and common-area open space must run on non-potable water whenever the purveyor has approved facilities available.
(A) Use of recycled or reclaimed water is encouraged. (B) An applicant proposing any new landscape that is subject to this chapter as provided in § 15.04.020 and designated for recycled water use, is advised that recycled water irrigation systems will entail additional coordination with the local water purveyor, the land use agency and the maintenance entity's standards, approvals, and implementation requirements. Therefore, applicants shall consult with the appropriate water purveyor early in the development review process to ensure that future recycled water facilities meet the projected demand and that subsequent landscape plans comply with the applicable standards, approvals, and implementation requirements of the local water purveyor, land use agency, and maintenance entity.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-15: Supplement contains: Local legislation current through Ordinance 2026-432, passed 4-15-2026).
Full Breakdown
" The chapter applies to existing landscapes of one acre or more, properties on a dedicated landscape irrigation meter, and new or rehabilitated residential and commercial landscape projects of 2,500 square feet or more that require a building or landscape permit, plan check or design review. Any applicant proposing a covered landscape designated for recycled water use must consult the water purveyor early in the development review process, because a recycled-water irrigation system requires additional coordination on the purveyor's approvals, standards and implementation requirements before the landscape plan can be approved.
040(C) goes further for common open-space areas: those systems must run on non-potable water whenever the water purveyor has approved non-potable facilities available, and the landscape plan must include provisions for the non-potable system, designed to the standards of the California Regional Water Quality Control Board and the Riverside County Health Department. 050(B)(11) directs that, where available, recycled water be used as the source for both irrigation and any decorative water feature.
Violations & Fines
Recycled water use itself isn't separately penalized, but skipping the required disclosure or purveyor coordination makes the Landscape Documentation Package incomplete and the city will not approve the landscape plan or issue the irrigation meter. Broader violations of Chapter 15.04, including a non-compliant common-area water system, are enforced as a public nuisance and by administrative citation under § 15.04.090.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Menifee require new landscaping to use recycled water?
What water source must a common-area landscape use in Menifee?
Which Menifee properties have to follow the recycled-water coordination rule?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Menifee
California rules heatmap·Compare Menifee to another location·View the California water use rules overview
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