Murrieta, CA Water Use Rules: Recycled Water Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- §16.28.060(F)
- SLA treatment
- Recycled-water landscapes = SLA
- ETAF cap for SLA
- Up to 1.0
- Applies to
- New landscape ≥500 sq ft
- Applies to
- Rehab landscape ≥2,500 sq ft
- Adopted
- Ord. 539, 2018
Summary
Murrieta's Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance requires covered projects to design for both current and future recycled-water irrigation, to operate any recycled-water system under all applicable state and local law, and to classify any landscape irrigated with recycled water as a Special Landscape Area with its own water-budget cap. The rule reaches new landscapes of 500 square feet or larger and rehabilitated landscapes of 2,500 square feet or larger.
F. Recycled Water.
1. The installation of recycled water irrigation systems shall allow for the current and future use of recycled water.
2. All recycled water irrigation systems shall be designed and operated in accordance with all applicable local and State laws.
3. Landscapes using recycled water are considered Special Landscape Areas. The ET adjustment Factor for new and existing (non-rehabilitated) Special Landscape Areas shall not exceed 1.0.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-23: A Codification of the General Ordinances of the City of Murrieta, California through Ord. 634-26, passed 7-7-2026).
Full Breakdown
060(F) of the Development Code, part of the Landscape Documentation Package requirements, addresses recycled water directly: the installation of recycled water irrigation systems must allow for current and future use of recycled water, all recycled water irrigation systems must be designed and operated in accordance with all applicable local and State laws, and any landscape that uses recycled water is treated as a Special Landscape Area. 0. 060(B)(2)(b) separately directs that, where available, recycled water be used as the source for decorative water features as well as irrigation.
28: new construction with 500 square feet or more of landscape area needing a building or landscape permit, plan check, or design review, and rehabilitated landscapes of 2,500 square feet or more under the same triggers. The landscape documentation package, including the irrigation design plan showing the recycled-water connection, is reviewed by the Community Development Department before a certificate of completion issues.
Violations & Fines
Failing to meet the Section 16.28.060(F) recycled-water design and operating standards is a Chapter 16.28 violation under Section 16.84.030(B): each day the noncompliance continues is a separate infraction, escalating to a misdemeanor on a second conviction for the same violation within one year. Citywide Section 1.08.050 fines infractions at $100, $200, and $500 for a first, second, and third conviction within a year, and punishes a misdemeanor by up to a $1,000 fine, six months in county jail, or both.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Murrieta require recycled water for landscaping?
What is a Special Landscape Area and why does recycled water matter?
Which projects have to address recycled water in their landscape plans?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Murrieta
California rules heatmap·Compare Murrieta to another location·View the California water use rules overview
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