DoomsdaysCWMar 14

So, before I start posting about #RainwaterCollection and #RainwaterHarvesting, I wanted to point out that while collecting rainwater is legal in most countries (though there can be local restrictions/regulations), there are some states in the #UnitedStates that restrict or prohibit #Rainwater collection.

Can You Go To Jail for Collecting Rainwater?

By Kiersten Hickman
Updated on Nov. 24, 2023

It's fine in most states, but some have stricter rules!

"While most states permit rainwater harvesting and some even encourage it, other states have specific rules and regulations around the topic. These states specify the uses of the water. For example, if the water can be collected for “non-potable” purposes, it means the water is not suitable for drinking but can be used for other things. Potable means it’s safe for drinking, cooking and bathing.

Here are a few with specific rules governing rainwater harvesting.

- #Alaska (rainwater okay, but groundwater is regulated)
- #Arkansas (legal with some regulation)
- #California (legal unless using it for landscaping)
- #Colorado (limited to 110 gallons per day)
- #Illinois (legal with some regulation)
- #Kansas (#WaterRights required, except for domestic use)
- #Louisiana (#cisterns must have covers)
- #Nevada (used to be illegal, but is legal with some restrictions
- #NorthCarolina (regulated)
- #Ohio (regulated for drinking)
- #Oregon (no longer illegal)
- #Texas (regulated)
- #Utah (rules about amounts)
- #WashingtonState (strict rules)

Learn more:
https://www.familyhandyman.com/article/collecting-rain-water-in-these-states-could-be-illegal/

More about the status of individual states:
https://4perfectwater.com/blog/rainwater-harvesting-laws

#SolarPunkSunday #WaterIsLife #WaterCollection #UnitedStates

Can You Go To Jail for Collecting Rainwater?

It's fine in most states, but some have stricter rules!

Family Handyman
Show threadWillMar 14

@DoomsdaysCW

Rainwater harvesting is legal in Oregon:

https://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog/em-9448-rainwater-harvesting-tanks-or-cisterns-oregon-regulations

Rainwater harvesting in tanks or cisterns: Oregon regulations

Learn about Oregon's rainwater harvesting regulations, including required permits and guidelines for compliant rainwater collection and storage in tanks or cisterns for both potable and non-potable uses.

OSU Extension Service
Show threadWhichOne'sPink 🇫🇮Mar 14
@scandigonian @DoomsdaysCW This implies that it's illegal elsewhere?
Show threadDoomsdaysCW
There are local and country restrictions, depending on the area. I would advise folks to check to make sure there aren't any restrictions/regulations before installing a new system, @NickSchwanck. What are the regulations in Australia? Is it the same for the desert as it is the forested areas? @scandigonian
Mar 14 at 8:49pmWeb
Show threadWhichOne'sPink 🇫🇮Mar 14
@DoomsdaysCW @scandigonian There are hundreds of communities where self-collected rainwater is the water source. They sell tanks, pumps, pipe etc. at any hardware place. I've lived in these places myself.
Anyone can do it anywhere.
Show threadDoomsdaysCWMar 14

So, Australia isn't a good example, @NickSchwanck -- since they encourage rainwater collection and use. But apparently, things are a bit different in Spain. However, do we really want #BigWater to be catching all the rainwater and selling it back to us? (That's the situation in some places in the USA.)

"In Spain, where water scarcity is a recurring concern and climate change is reshaping hydrological patterns, collecting rainwater might seem like a smart, eco-friendly move. And it is—but only if you follow the rules. While the idea of catching drops from your rooftop sounds simple, the legal framework behind it is anything but casual.

Water Belongs to the Public

Spain’s water resources are governed by the Ley de Aguas, codified in Real Decreto Legislativo 1/2001, which declares all water—surface and groundwater—as part of the dominio público hidráulico (public hydraulic domain). This includes rainwater once it enters a collection system. The law doesn’t prohibit harvesting, but it regulates it through administrative titles: declaración responsable, autorización, or concesión, depending on the scale and purpose of use."

https://www.allowedornot.com/2025/10/25/is-it-allowed-to-collect-rainwater-in-spain/

@scandigonian

Is It Allowed to Collect Rainwater in Spain? - Allowed Or Not?

Discover how Spain regulates rainwater harvesting—from national water laws to city-level sustainability projects—and what you need to know before collecting.

Allowed Or Not?
Show threadWhichOne'sPink 🇫🇮Mar 14
@DoomsdaysCW @scandigonian This was the reason for my original question. I just KNEW that the potential illegality of collecting rain water was some Capitalist fuckery.
Then there's the former CEO of Nestlé...
https://youtu.be/9VFxZdHVQ2M?si=JD-3WfIm0zbdQV44
Nestlé CEO Water As a Human Right Is Extreme

YouTube
Show threadDoomsdaysCWMar 14
One of my personal battles was against Poland Spring's new owners, Blue Triton, who wanted to double extraction in our town, despite years of DROUGHT! I dug up maps of the water table, and had a retired hydrologist friend (who happens to be a former coven-mate) chime in. PS was claiming that the area of extraction was NOT in the local water table! WTF! @NickSchwanck @scandigonian
Show threadWhichOne'sPink 🇫🇮Mar 14
@DoomsdaysCW @scandigonian In the long version of this video, he has a glass and a jug of water. He pointedly pours himself a glass and takes a sip before saying we have no right to free water.
Show threadLukefromDCMar 14
@NickSchwanck @DoomsdaysCW @scandigonian Nestle must have bought Bechtel to be peddling this crap. I guess they want people to buy $$$ bottled water ro mix their damned $$$ baby formula with in Africa?
Show threadWhichOne'sPink 🇫🇮Mar 14
@LukefromDC @DoomsdaysCW @scandigonian That video is pretty old now. I've probably been fuming about it for ten years.
Show threadDoomsdaysCWMar 14
#BlueTriton isn't much better than Nestle. In fact, in some ways, they are far worse... @NickSchwanck @LukefromDC @scandigonian