Eleven states have passed laws regarding the collection of rainwater, but those laws do not necessarily make it illegal. Some states actually offer tax incentives to encourage people to setup their own rainwater collection systems. There have been similar misunderstandings about rainwater collection laws in Colorado. Before 2009, Colorado had strict laws that basically made collecting rainwater illegal. But the state later introduced laws that made it legal to use some rooftop rainwater collection systems and to set up rainwater retention basins at new development sites. Other states that have rainwater collection laws on the books include Arizona, Illinois, …show more content…
Therefore, property owners have a right to reasonable use of ground and surface water on their property. But there are no limits to what Nanny Law can enforce. The states or federal government want to create impoundments, such as arresting Gary Harrington for the senseless act of collecting water, or perhaps being arrested for irrigating crops with the water above a threshold level require permits are impractical. In the state of Colorado it became one step closer to making rainwater harvesting a legal option for more of its residents. Before the new law allowing rainwater collection was passed, it was illegal in Colorado to gather rainwater and snowmelt that fell from rooftops, patios or driveways into barrels. Also, rainwater harvesting occurs when storm water runoff is diverted from flowing to the ground and instead put to beneficial use by the rainwater harvester. However, in western parts of the U.S., unlike in the east coast, capturing rainwater is generally illegal due to the prior appropriation doctrine that governs water. Using gray water can increase soil moisture in a garden or even supply a home's water needs, getting one step closer to going off the