Two laws were passed in 2009 which loosened restrictions on rainwater collection allowing residents to use rainwater for non potable purposes.
Illegal to collect rainwater from roof.
The downspout is cut to a height that permits the rain water to flow into a barrel placed beneath it.
Rain barrels are containers used to collect rain water from the roof of a building via the gutter and downspout.
Only if it sits for a long period of time without use and without subsequent refills will it go.
That is roughly a total of 110 gallons and this should only be on their rooftops.
Any container capable of collecting the rain shedding from a roof or patio can be used as a rainwater harvesting system.
Under section 39 of the health act it is illegal to let or sell a house unless there is a supply of potable water.
Roof water users can reduce their risks of disease from contaminated rainwater.
Here are a few with specific rules governing rainwater harvesting.
This means at the federal level it is not illegal to collect rainwater.
The collected rain must be used on the property where it is collected and may only be used for outdoor purposes such as lawn irrigation and gardening.
All in all the severity of those laws tend to differ in each of the states.
The law used to be the only obstacle.
Exactly how much rainwater you re allowed to collect and use varies across the u s for example under a colorado law passed in 2016 homeowners are now allowed to catch and use two rain barrels a total of 110 gallons from their rooftops but no more.
That s because weirdly collecting rainwater is actually illegal in some states.
Such water does not go bad at all.
That s the good news.
Collected rainwater may be used to irrigate outdoor lawns plants or gardens.
Collecting rain was technically illegal in many states because any precipitation was subject to that strict hierarchy of water rights stretching back to the mid 1800s.
In 2016 house bill 16 1005 was passed allowing residents to collect rainwater from a catchment system on their rooftops into two rain barrels with a combined capacity of 110 gallons.
Rainwater harvesting is encouraged in alaska and considered a primary source of water.
In the united states there aren t federal laws or restrictions based on rainwater harvesting.
To comply with colorado water law the container must be equipped with a sealable lid.
The barrel should have a spigot to which a hose may be attached and an overflow hose.
Untreated rainwater collected from roofs is not safe to drink.
However like with many things there are rules and ordinances at the state level that may affect you.
The colorado rainwater regulation law passed in 2016 allows homeowners to collect only two barrels.
