Collecting Rainwater

**Durgan** · 01-29-2011, 03:40 PM

8 April 2009 Downspout Rainwater 8 April 2009 Downspout Rainwater
Pictures indicating a simple, practical method of utilizing downspout rainwater. Barrels cost 15 dollars and all parts are standard plumbing fittings. Any urban downspout system must address the overflow problem during rainfall. The large bung hole is a reasonable compromise for overflow. The height is such that a hose may be utilized for watering plants, but I usually use five gallon buckets on a two wheeled cart. The system is readily expandable by cascading more barrels in line. I have four barrels, two on each side of the house. the system is essentially closed, hence mosquitoes are not a problem.

16 April 2009 Downspout Water Connection. 16 April 2009 Downspout Water Connection.
Seasonal connections. The downspout water system was switched over to Summer mode by connecting the downspout to the storage barrels.

**mndtrp** · 01-30-2011, 06:23 PM

While it's unlikely you'll get in trouble, you may want to make sure it's legal to collect rainwater in your state.

**pat in east texas** · 01-30-2011, 08:41 PM

Why would it be illegal to collect rainwater??

**Missy** · 01-30-2011, 08:53 PM

Originally Posted by pat in east texas

Why would it be illegal to collect rainwater??

It's illegal here. I have though found ways to do it incognito.

Here there's what's called the stormwater enterprize tax. you get charged a tax for the water that can't penetrate the ground quickly(ie anywhere paved, your roof, etc)...but you can't mitigate that with rainbarrels. Whether or not you do anything to lead water to ground or not. Some states or counties are just set up that way. It's wise to check it out.

**ladytoysdream** · 01-30-2011, 09:06 PM

Originally Posted by Missy

It's illegal here. I have though found ways to do it incognito.
Here there's what's called the stormwater enterprize tax. you get charged a tax for the water that can't penetrate the ground quickly(ie anywhere paved, your roof, etc)...but you can't mitigate that with rainbarrels. Whether or not you do anything to lead water to ground or not. Some states or counties are just set up that way. It's wise to check it out.

I still don't quite understand how this all works in your area.
Do you not get enough rain ? Or do you get too much rain ?

**KeithBC** · 01-30-2011, 09:06 PM

Yes, believe it or not, in some places, governments claim jurisdiction over rainwater. In places where collection is illegal, they are supposedly worried about you reducing the amount of available groundwater. That would really only be a factor if you were exporting it. If you are using it on your garden, it's going back into the same ground it would have gone into had you not collected it. But, check the laws where you live.

It's not like that everywhere, though. Where I live, the local government actually encourages it due to severely limited groundwater resources. They would rather you collected water off your roof than pump it from an aquifer that your neighbour depends on.

Here, we get abundant rain in winter, and hardly a drop in summer, so collecting a season's worth of water in winter makes a lot of sense.

Here is my collection system.

**Missy** · 01-30-2011, 09:42 PM

We were in a dought for a long time. They enacted the tax two years ago (some people claim it was underhanded that they snuck it onto a ballot under guise of something else, i don't know one way or another)...when the drought finally ended. They decided recently to end the tax ... but are placing liens on properties that refused to pay for rainwater hitting their roofs.

**Missy** · 01-30-2011, 09:48 PM

here's what they did...

http://www.springsgov.com/sectionind...x?SectionID=34

I am trying to find the actual fee schedule and explaination from when it first started. They were taxing you for letting your rain water get into the gutters and such, but they woudn't allow people to build anythign to prevent it from going there...like rain barrels or anything. So, in essense you were getting taxed a normal property tax that taxes for structures on your property, then you got taxed againfor those structures (including paving)...even if it was a city sidewalk that ran though the frontage of your property...for the rain that fell onto those things. And if you tried to mitigate that with a rain barrel system, you got fined for that too.

**Durgan** · 01-31-2011, 05:13 AM

Originally Posted by Missy

here's what they did...

City of Colorado Springs - Stormwater Homepage

I am trying to find the actual fee schedule and explaination from when it first started. They were taxing you for letting your rain water get into the gutters and such, but they woudn't allow people to build anythign to prevent it from going there...like rain barrels or anything. So, in essense you were getting taxed a normal property tax that taxes for structures on your property, then you got taxed againfor those structures (including paving)...even if it was a city sidewalk that ran though the frontage of your property...for the rain that fell onto those things. And if you tried to mitigate that with a rain barrel system, you got fined for that too.

May I suggest that you remove the idiots who made such a stupid, complicated law. It is the most stupid thing that I have read in a long time. Is this the USA?

**Durgan** · 01-31-2011, 05:14 AM

Originally Posted by KeithBC

Yes, believe it or not, in some places, governments claim jurisdiction over rainwater. In places where collection is illegal, they are supposedly worried about you reducing the amount of available groundwater. That would really only be a factor if you were exporting it. If you are using it on your garden, it's going back into the same ground it would have gone into had you not collected it. But, check the laws where you live.

It's not like that everywhere, though. Where I live, the local government actually encourages it due to severely limited groundwater resources. They would rather you collected water off your roof than pump it from an aquifer that your neighbour depends on.

Here, we get abundant rain in winter, and hardly a drop in summer, so collecting a season's worth of water in winter makes a lot of sense.

Here is my collection system.

Nice system. Don't even think about it at minus 18C.

**jas** · 01-31-2011, 08:50 AM

thoes taxes sound insane!

**Missy** · 01-31-2011, 11:15 AM

Originally Posted by Durgan

May I suggest that you remove the idiots who made such a stupid, complicated law. It is the most stupid thing that I have read in a long time. Is this the USA?

I know. It's stupid. And I can vote against them until my dying day, but more people have to agree with me. They have acutally recinded this tax recently, but have pretty much levied something else in it's place. I for the life of me can't remember what it is called.Whee, the good ol state of Colorado.....whee fun stuff

**KeithBC** · 01-31-2011, 12:01 PM

Originally Posted by Durgan

Nice system. Don't even think about it at minus 18C.

That's the truth! It only works here because of the mild winters. Even then, I don't fill the tanks all the way until spring, in order to avoid frost damage.

**Keildra** · 01-31-2011, 01:31 PM

Originally Posted by Missy

I know. It's stupid. And I can vote against them until my dying day, but more people have to agree with me. They have acutally recinded this tax recently, but have pretty much levied something else in it's place. I for the life of me can't remember what it is called.Whee, the good ol state of Colorado.....whee fun stuff

PETITION!!!!
That's probably one of the best things you can do until said Idiots are out of office

**mndtrp** · 01-31-2011, 07:56 PM

Originally Posted by pat in east texas

Why would it be illegal to collect rainwater??

Other states own a lot of the water that falls in my state, essentially meaning I'm stealing from those states. In my case, it doesn't really apply, because the water that hits my house will never make it to a river. However, there are a lot of other people who's water will make it to a river.

The laws are slowly getting loosened up a bit.