San Jacinto, CA Water Use Rules: Recycled Water Rules (2026)

The rule sits in Chapter 17.325 (Water Efficient Landscape and Irrigation) of the San Jacinto Municipal Code, adopted by the San Jacinto City Council as Ord. 24-13 on 10/1/2024. Subsection A is the core mandate: recycled/reclaimed water shall be utilized whenever available, and reclaimed irrigation equipment shall be specified on the landscape plans. Subsection B requires that recycled water irrigation systems allow for the current and future use of recycled water, so a project built before the pipe reaches the street still has to be ready for it. Subsection C requires every recycled water irrigation system to be designed and operated in accordance with all applicable local and state laws.

Subsection D gives these landscapes special treatment in the water budget. Landscapes using recycled water are special landscape areas, and the ET adjustment factor for new and existing (non-rehabilitated) special landscape areas shall not exceed 1.0. Subsection E tells applicants to consult the appropriate water purveyor early in the development review process, so that future recycled water facilities meet projected demand and the plans comply with the standards, approvals and implementation requirements of the chapter, the purveyor and any maintenance entity. Subsection F covers common open space: those water systems shall use non-potable water if approved facilities are made available by the water purveyor, a non-potable system must be provided for in the irrigation design plan, and the design must meet the standards of the Regional Water Quality Control Board, the Riverside County Health Department and the water purveyor.

The chapter defines "Recycled water", "reclaimed water", or "treated sewage effluent water" in Section 17.325.050 as treated or recycled waste water of a quality suitable for non-potable uses such as landscape irrigation and water features, and states it is not intended for human consumption. The chapter applies to new development with an aggregate landscape area of 500 square feet or more, and to rehabilitated landscapes of 2,500 square feet or more, that need a building or landscape permit, plan check or design review (Section 17.325.030).