Is Collecting Rainwater From Your Roof Illegal

No permit from the state board is necessary.

Is collecting rainwater from your roof illegal. To collect rainwater you can attach a rain barrel to your home s downspout so when it rains the water flows directly into the barrel. Rainwater for gardening is great for plants and soil health. Untreated rainwater collected from roofs is not safe to drink. Therefore before you set up your rainwater barrels be sure to confirm with the authorities if it is legal to collect rainwater in your state.

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. In summary as we have seen in the article above. Collected rainwater may be used to irrigate outdoor lawns plants or gardens. The idea of rainwater harvesting usually conjures up images of an old farm cistern or thoughts of developing countries.

That is roughly a total of 110 gallons and this should only be on their rooftops. House bill 991 2011 amended the homeowners solar rights act it requires that within 120 days after a homeowners association the association shall adopt. Also rain water collected in tanks that are used can sit for a very long time because the water gets refilled and replaced by new rains. Rainwater harvesting is legal in illinois but with two major statutes.

In 2009 we issued a rainwater use interpretive policy which clarifies that you may use water collected from your rooftop without a water right permit however there are rules on using rainwater as a potable drinkable water source. Only if it sits for a long period of time without use and without subsequent refills will it go. A high quality enameled roofing material that is easy to clean standing seam metal offers the highest collection efficiency available. Rainwater harvesting coming from your roof is fine in california.

Such water does not go bad at all. Just lay the tarp out on an elevated area and run a drainpipe from the lowest corner to a collection tank. However collecting rainwater for landscaping purposes would require a license if a rain capture system is being used to create a water supply swimming pool hot tub fountains ponds a landscaper must be authorized to enter a prime contract for that system. If you re installing a new roof for the purpose of collecting rainwater standing seam metal may very well be your best choice.

Rainwater collection systems can be as simple as collecting rain in a rain barrel or as elaborate as harvesting rainwater into large cisterns to supply your entire household demand. If you collect in tanks from your own roof structures it is not illegal. Any container capable of collecting the rain shedding from a roof or patio can be used as a rainwater harvesting system. That s because weirdly collecting rainwater is actually illegal in some states.