Is Rainwater Harvesting Illegal Now?

Government officials in 15 states — and counting! — regulated one of the most natural things known to man… rain.

Thankfully, it’s not a felony to collect rainwater… yet. But many states restrict the practice. Citing disruptions to the natural cycles of the earth.

I’ll reveal the list of states in just a minute, so that you can see if yours is one of them. First, let’s take a look at how this could impact your preparedness plan…
It’s all Over the News…

If you read the news, you likely have some understanding of how bad tap water is these days. Our drinking water gets contaminated easily.

Public utility systems are largely unsecured and under-resourced. Leaving them vulnerable to both natural and manmade attacks. Including extreme weather, earthquakes, fires & storms, human accidents or even terrorists & cyber criminals.

Whatever the reason… It’s essential to stockpile water for when a crisis strikes. The odds of needing it are high… and the cost of NOT having enough are high, too.

Harvesting rainwater is a good way to do that. A 2,000-square foot house can collect about 37,000 gallons of water… provided that you get a decent amount of rain each year.
4 Simple Steps: It’s Easy to Use Rainwater

Rainwater is powerful. It’s an effective way to water your garden and prepare for emergencies. With proper purification systems in place, you can use rainwater for everything, including drinking.

Learning the basics of rain collection is important for preparedness planning. And it’s easier than you might think… with only four steps:

1) Collecting
2) Channeling to tanks or barrels for storage
3) Purifying
4) Distributing 


Some rainwater collection systems are homemade and inexpensive to build. For example, you can cut one of your drain pipes and divert it to a large barrel. There are plans for do-it-yourself collection systems online. (And a lot of opinionated folks out there, too.)

Tip: Be sure to have more than one barrel on hand. That way you’ll collect as much water as possible during a steady rain.

Other setups are more industrial and more costly. Some of the most elaborate systems will include huge underground rainwater collection tanks. This allows you to collect much more water — they eliminate the need to fill your yard with storage barrels or tanks. This is also a good option if you want to keep your rainwater collection somewhat discreet.

Or, you can hire someone. A quick search provides names of companies specializing in rainwater-collection system installation.
Why is it Regulated?

And what are the pesky states that do it?

Ok, so first… why? The short answer is the ground. Rainwater can’t seep into the ground if too much is collected. Restrictions protect the natural cycle of rainwater. If the ground becomes too hard due to lack of moisture, vegetation will be limited. And flooding becomes a greater problem during heavy rainfalls. Because water can’t seep into the hard ground.

Americans may believe it’s their inherent right to collect rainwater. And sure, that’s understandable. People like to use it for watering plants and cleaning. Not to mention cooking and drinking once that water is filtered.

Other folks may worry about flooding during heavy rain. Collecting water is a way to manage that, too.

And sometimes people worry about a water-supply crisis. Maybe that includes you? If municipal or well water becomes unsafe, you’ll need water to drink, cook with, clean with and clean up. Harvesting rainwater is a good way to make sure that you have enough when you need it.

States that have some level of rainwater collection restrictions include: Arkansas, California, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Rhode Island, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin. Kansas and North Dakota may require a permit.

Colorado, Utah, Nevada, Illinois, and Arkansas — rumor has it that y’all have it worst.

All states not listed above haven’t regulated the collection of rainwater. Yet.

So if harvesting rainwater is part of your preparedness plan, make sure you check your states guidelines first.

P.S. Rain might look clean… but don’t be fooled. What works for gardening and cleaning isn’t going to work as well for drinking & cooking. Rain collects pollutants in the sky as it falls. And you probably don’t wash your roof, gutters, and drainpipes daily. So, rain will gain more contaminants before it reaches a barrel. Make sure you have a trustworthy filter for safer and better-tasting drinking water.

Comments

  • NJohn - September 11, 2024

    Unless the state can keep the rain off my property, I will continue to harvest the water The PEOPLE own the Water, not the State. The PEOPLE established the STATE and the PEOPLE can dissolve the state as well. They better keep the fog off my property because I will harvest that too. They better keep their animals of my property because what? I will harvest that as well.

    That is why the STATE should be held responsible for Water Damage to OUR property because they claim ownership of Water! If you don’t own it, you can’t control the use of it.

    That is why I have an Atmospheric water generator. I get the rain in its infant state and just call it an abortion which is legal. Remember Rain comes from Mother Nature!

    For Robyn https://www.aquaoxwaterfilters.com/contaminants/polychlorinated-biphenyls-pcbs-water-filter/

  • C - August 28, 2024

    as far as a rain barrel big illegal I used to think that that was terrible, but they’re doing you a favor because if you were to check that rainwater, you’re going to find everything in it that is up in the sky that they spray and comes down through the rain into our soils etc
    So you really don’t want to drink rain water unless you can purify it all out sucessfully

  • Raymond mcdade - August 27, 2024

    Look it’s everyone’s right to collect it if they want to an no government should ever be allowed to regulate it God gives rain it’s your right to use it as you see fit government shouldn’t ever be allowed to tell you what or were you can collect it or use it ever

  • L A - August 25, 2024

    “Rainwater can’t seep into the ground if too much is collected.”
    So, the rain that hits your roof, which is what would normally go into that ground if the structure wasn’t there, is keeping the ground that is elsewhere from getting the rain it normally would?
    You’re only harvesting the rain that isn’t falling on the ground anyway. And even if it flows onto the groumd, it only affects the ground within maybe 20’ of said structure, which in most cases is negligible.

  • Yurka - August 25, 2024

    You collect it. You wash with it and it drains back out. You drink it and you pee it out. It just takes a detour getting back into the ground.
    Many politicians on the other hand are so full of crap, that anywhere you find them, you’re dealing with hazardous waste that needs to be kept away from the environment.

  • Bill Busch - August 22, 2024

    I catch rain water for my animals. I wait for an hour or so for the bird poop to be rinsed off the roof. I drink it too. Poop on stupid laws.

  • Mele Lee - August 20, 2024

    How can a state deny any of their citizens the right to harvest rainwater? This practice has been used since our nation was founded. I remember my own grandmother saying rainwater was the best source to wash one’s hair and she lived to 96 and had beautiful thick glossy hair. So why would the government even think of denying a person the right to gather rainwater for personal consumption? What is happening to our beautiful nation. Are in people in power so money hungry they can’t see beyond their greediness.
    God bless America and its citizens. May they all be enlightened to what they are doing to their citizens.

  • Sandra - August 20, 2024

    I don’t have running water and haven’t for years. Catching rain water is all I have to wash dishes and myself and for just general cleaning purposes around the trailer. I don’t use it to drink because I don’t have a filtration system in place. I have to buy water from a store to give to my animals. I have a well but it leaks somewhere and it started smelling like kerosene. I had a garden house hooked up to it for about a month and now I can’t use that anymore. I’m trying to get equipment to try to put a water filtration system in place so I can have drinkable water. I have three big barrels and some smaller ones so if I can get them set up, I should be okay, hopefully.

  • Jeffrey - August 20, 2024

    I’m in Northern Florida and I keep a 5 gallon bucket under where the valley of the roof is and it’s full All the time and the dogs drink it and just in case I need 5 gallons for emergency. But I have spring well so I don’t get the shitty water!( oops I meant city!)

  • Robert Daughtry - August 20, 2024

    Well it’s like this, rain is not man made it comes from our creator God, he gave us dominion over the earth, and it’s not the government right to say whether we collect it for use. Once it’s collected and filtered and processed it can be put on gardens for growing food. As far as it interrupting the natural flow of nature that’s hogwash cause it will eventually get back into the ground. Especially if you water the garden with it.

  • Raymond Pelky - August 19, 2024

    It’s time that the people of each state start emailing or calling their reps & governors to let them know they don’t have any constitutional or moral rights to prevent the people from receiving what God Himself has provided for everyone’s usage & survival.

  • Terri Freund - August 19, 2024

    I have always collected a certain amount of rain water during heavy rains (only 2-3 buckets per heavy rains) for my plants and certain cleaning. This way I’m not pulling water out of the natural aquifers and still allowing water to reach the ground. I also use the water in my two small room dehumidifiers to water my plants (flowers, not herbs or other edibles) instead of just pouring it down the drain. During the beginning of a hurricane coming in, I’ll catch the water, run it through a filtration system, and store it for use during/after the storm. Hopefully, my comments can help others with water situations.

  • David Ewing - August 19, 2024

    I am building a collection of condensate from air conditioner + 5-10 gal day in high humidity. it usually dumps on ground. don’t know if it safe to drink yet need to have it tested. it does have a slight smoke taste.

  • Robert Ricker - August 19, 2024

    Frank
    I live 9 miles out of Eldorado, Ar. Which has chemical plants in the city limits and out. The air is awful at times, metal in the open will rust easily. I’ve thought to collect the rain water, but what about the filtering those harmful chemicals? Bad enough to have to work in the plant. I had my share of agent orange in Vietnam, chemicals are chemicals.
    Robert

  • Wm - August 19, 2024

    So sad for not being free to use for your lawns and garden when it dry

  • Robyn - August 19, 2024

    I was about to set up a rain water collection to water my garden with and when I asked my son for help with it he told me it is illegal in Massachusetts where we live. Just Crazy.
    I am looking for a water filtration system that can filter out PCBs. Does one exist?

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