It finally rained here! After almost two-months of nearly no rain our trees that had just started to bloom were losing leaves and the ground was cracking, like we were in the dessert or something. I was starting to get worried about all the established trees in our yard. As we started working towards self-sufficiency, we wanted to add a way to capture and utilize harvested water for our ever-expanding gardens.
When we first started this project a couple years ago, we wondered about the legality of rainwater harvesting. Could we really collect and use rainwater without breaking any laws? Who “owns” the rain that lands on our property? After doing months of research, we knew it was okay to continue with building our rainwater system, but the answer is not so straightforward everywhere. The laws on collecting rainwater vary from state to state, and even within states, there may be different regulations depending on your county or township.
According to the Department of Energy, there are some states where rainwater harvesting is not regulated at all (like Pennsylvania), while others have strict regulations in place. For example, in Georgia, it is legal but closely regulated by the Department of Natural Resources in the Environmental Protection Division. On the other hand, in Utah, a permit is required if the total capacity of stored water exceeds 2,500 gallons. In Vermont, there are no laws or regulations against harvesting rainwater, and in Virginia, residents who install rainwater capture and storage systems can receive tax credits.
It is important to note that even if collecting and storing rainwater is legal in your state, there may be specific statutes that apply. For example, in Colorado, there are two specific statutes that apply to rainwater harvesting, one of which requires homeowners’ associations to specify if rain collection is allowed and to spell out the location, design, and architectural requirements of those systems. It is always a good idea to check with your local authorities to make sure you are in compliance with any regulations that may apply.
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What is Rainwater Harvesting?
Most years in Pennsylvania, at least since we’ve become homeowners, we get sufficient rain in spring, and then might have a dry spell with super hot temperatures in July/August. This is typically okay since our plants are mostly established by then with deep enough roots that a little hot weather won’t kill them and we can supplement with our garden hoses.
We are fortunate to have a well and septic system for our property; I know not everyone would be happy with this setup, but I love drinking well water and enjoy knowing that our home is self-sufficient: it creates it’s own water (well), and gets rid of waste/waste-water with the septic system. We don’t have to worry about water treatment chemicals or paying for our water usage.
As with most of our big-brained project ideas, our rainwater capture and containment system came from a NEED, and not ONLY a desire to conserve natural resources. We watered our no-dig garden with our water hoses throughout 2020, and ended up with a fine salt residue on top of all of our compost once the water soaked into the soil. Towards the end of the gardening year, we realized we would have to turn off our water softening system in order to use our well water for the plants. This was kind of a pain, BUT plants don’t like added salt to their diets.
Thus began our research on to see if we could use the rainwater captured from our roof; we would be conserving, storing, and reusing the natural rainwater for our plants. Rainwater harvesting is the process of collecting and storing rain and stormwater runoff for later use, instead of letting it be channeled into drains, streams, or rivers.
Benefits of Rainwater Collection
There are so many benefits to rainwater harvesting, some that we are learning along the way. First, it really does help to conserve water, thus reducing the water demand on our well, and the groundwater the well pulls from. And in areas that have public water, this would reduce the demand on the municipal water system, which is supplied by natural sources like rivers and streams, lakes, and underground aquifers. This is important for areas that experience droughts or have limited water resources, like California. Reducing the demand on the natural water supplies helps preserve those aquatic ecosystems by maintaining water levels and supporting the lives of the aquatic animals
Rainwater harvesting can help to reduce your water bills and save you some money, if you pay for your water usage. It also helps to reduce erosion and flooding by preventing excess stormwater runoff from overwhelming drainage systems and ditches, causing localized flooding.
A couple years ago, the farmer next to us put a large French drain into his crop field to drain excess water from that portion of his crops. That is great for him because he can now grow crops there, but he diverted this water runoff into our drainage ditch…which happens to connect to our basement. He diverted so much water from his field to our ditch, it was backing up our drain and into our basement. Four or five inches of water covered our entire basement several times that year.
The way our ditch runs is like every other ditch, but it then passes underneath our driveway and makes a near 90 degree turn to go under the road across the street. Our basement has a drain that runs out to this near 90 degree turn, so when water was backing up at this bend before crossing the road, it was backing up into our basement. When we called the township and asked if we could extend our ditch down the hill instead of going across the street, they said no because that much water would cause water to flood the roadway at the bottom of the hill.
We’ve since put other safeguards in place, and have started to capture a good portion of our rainwater that runs to that ditch…so far, (knock-on-wood) no more basement flooding.
Types of Rainwater Harvesting Systems
There are various types of rainwater catchment systems, including:
- Roof Catchment Systems – where rainwater is collected from rooftops and stored in rain barrels, tanks, or cisterns
- Surface Runoff Systems – where rainwater is collected from surfaces such as roads, parking lots, and sidewalks and stored in underground tanks or retention ponds
- Green Roofs – where rainwater is absorbed and stored by vegetation on the roof
- Infiltration Systems – where rainwater is absorbed by the ground and stored in underground aquifers
The type of system used depends on various factors such as the climate, the amount of rainfall, and the how you plan to use the water. It is important to have a baseline knowledge of what you are doing, or consult with a professional to determine the most suitable system for your specific needs. I don’t recommend saying fuck it and diving right in, like we did (and do for most of our projects. You’d think we’d learn). But hey, it’s worked out so far!
We actually installed a Roof Catchment System, utilizing our home’s existing gutter system. And when I say “existing” doesn’t that make the project seem super easy?? LOL, it has been an absolute journey. I’ll definitely detail it all out in another post, but suffice to say: we are now capturing 1,650 gallons of rainwater off three of our home’s six roofs. And that’s a decent chunk of rainwater that normally gets us through the dry spells here in Western PA. We could capture more, but since our water is stored aboveground, and we freeze in the winter this is our current happy middle ground so that we can utilize all of the water before winterizing our system.
Is Harvesting Rainwater Illegal?
Now that you know how awesome using rainwater can be for your plants, basement, and ecosystems, I know you want to build your own system. Before you do that, it’s important to understand the legalities surrounding harvesting your rainwater. Here, I’ll discuss the laws and regulations on rainwater harvesting and any exceptions to the rules. This is intended to be a guide and a starting point, not a comprehensive overview and this is no substitute for proper legal counsel. A more comprehensive overview is available on the Federal Energy Management Program’s website.
Laws and Regulations on Rain Water Harvesting
According to my research, it is legal to collect and store rainwater in most states in the United States. However, the regulations and laws surrounding it vary from state to state, and even within municipalities.
For example, some states have limitations on the amount of water that can be collected. Others require permits for certain types of rainwater collection and storage systems. Some states also have restrictions on how the collected water can be used, such as only for gardening or lawn maintenance or not allowed to use it for drinking water.
It’s important to note that in some states, there are no specific laws or regulations on rainwater harvesting. Pennsylvania is currently one such state (thank goodness for that). However, even in these states, it’s still important to be aware of any potential restrictions or limitations that may apply. And note that laws, regulations, and limitations are ever-evolving.
Exceptions to the Rules
While rainwater harvesting is generally legal in most states, there are some exceptions to the rules. For example, Colorado and Arizona have restrictions on rainwater harvesting in certain areas to protect water rights for other uses.
Additionally, some states may have restrictions o how the rainwater may be utilized, such as prohibiting the use of collected water for drinking or indoor use.
It’s important to research the specific laws and regulations in your state and any local regulations that may apply to your area before starting a rainwater collection system. This will help ensure that you are following all applicable rules and regulations.
How to Collect Rainwater
Our rainwater system is one of my favorite projects we’ve completed (well, started, it’s functioning, but not fully finished yet) to date. I don’t know why capturing the water just makes me so happy. Since every system will be built differently (we learned that the hard way trying to build ours), here’s a step-by-step high-level overview to building a rainwater harvesting system:
Building a Rainwater Collection System
Step 1: Determine the size of the system you need. Consider the amount of rainfall you receive in your area and the size of your roof. A general rule of thumb is that a 1,000 square foot roof can collect around 600 gallons of water per inch of rain. We tried these calculations, but honestly, they meant nothing to either the Boyfriend or myself…so we started with two-275 gallon IBC totes. We knew we could always get more, if needed.
Step 2: Install gutters and downspouts if you don’t already have them. We used our existing gutters and then retrofitted 3″ PVC piping to carry the water from our roof/gutters to our IBC totes. Make sure your gutters are clean and free of debris.
Step 3: Install a leaf guard or screen over the gutters to keep debris out of the system. This is not absolutely necessary to begin with, but I highly recommend it. We got gutter guards this year and it has made capturing our rainwater soooooo much easier.
Step 4: Install a first flush diverter to remove the initial water from the roof, which can contain dirt and other contaminants.
Step 5: Install a filter to remove any remaining debris and contaminants from the water. We should probably add one to our system, but maybe that can be next year’s project? With the gutter guards and the first flush diverter, our water is pretty clean by the time it reaches our water tanks.
Step 6: Install a storage tank to hold the collected rainwater. Make sure the tank is made of food-grade material (like previously didn’t hold gas or anything like that) and is properly sealed to prevent contamination. You’ll want to make sure your storage tank is level, and properly covered to prevent algae growth in the stored water. If you get a colored storage tank or cistern, or even a metal one, you won’t need to do anything else, but if your plastic is at all transparent, you will need to cover. We spray painted our totes black and then covered them in heavy-duty black plastic. Since the totes are inside their metal cages to allow for stacking, we knew the plastic would last a really long time (going on three summers so far!).
Step 7: Install an overflow system to prevent the tank from overflowing during heavy rainfall. We are currently revamping our system, but we overflow our extra water back to the gutter system so that it gets carried away from the house
Step 8: Install a pump and distribution system to use the rainwater for irrigation, or other non-potable water uses. We’re working on automating our system with our drip irrigation, and let me tell you, the Boyfriend is so excited to bring his techy-world to our garden!
Tips for Maintaining Your Rain Water Harvesting System
Here are a few tips to keep your rainwater harvesting system running smoothly:
- Regularly clean and maintain your gutters and downspouts to prevent clogs and blockages.
- Clean or replace your leaf guard or screen as needed.
- Check and clean your first flush diverter and filter regularly to ensure they are working properly. Empty your diverter after each rain.
- Inspect your storage tank for leaks or damage and clean it as needed.
- Check your overflow system to make sure it is functioning properly.
- Regularly use your stored water to prevent stagnation and keep the water fresh.
It really is that simple. Ours is built to be a set-it-and-forget it type system, well that’s the eventual hope anyway. Right now, we still run out in the rain to make sure everything runs smoothly–but then again, we are helicopter-parents to our projects.
Conclusion
After researching and learning about rainwater harvesting, we knew it was something we wanted to do in order to be a more self-sufficient homestead. It is a great way to conserve water, save ecosystems, and reduce water bills. By collecting rainwater and storing it for later use, the reliance on municipal water sources can be reduced and water scarcity can be partially alleviated in some communities.
However, it is important to note that the legality of rainwater harvesting varies depending on where you live. Some states and countries have regulations and restrictions on rainwater harvesting, while others do not. It is important to research and understand the laws in your area before installing a rainwater harvesting system.
According to the Rainwater Harvesting Regulations Map provided by the Department of Energy, some states have limited exemptions for legal implementation of rainwater harvesting, while others have no regulations in place that would prohibit the collection. It is also important to consider the water quality and safety of the water being harvested and how you will be using it.
Overall, I believe that rainwater harvesting is a valuable practice that can benefit both individuals and communities. However, it is important to approach it responsibly and with a thorough understanding of the laws and regulations in your area. If you like this project, check out these eco-friendly projects we’re trying to cross off our list soon!!
