rain water collection - suggestions? UPDATE!

[unclejoe]

Yup...keeping rain water or reusing grey water from your washing machine is illegal in Colorado. Hasn't stopped me from gutting an old washing machine and making a rain barrel though....LOL

My brother has been in Co. for almost 20 yrs. and he didn't know about the rainwater collection law until I sent him the link to story I read back in March. He was beside himself because he collects water for his herb garden. He plans to continue and play dumb if he's ever confronted about it although he is going to be a bit more discreet about it.

Forgot to mention- he's about 50 miles north of you in Arvada

 

[wifezilla]

do you mean like an old wringer washer? How did you do it and how did it look when it came out?

It was a modern washer. It just looks like a big plastic tub now. We couldn't get the metal agitator out, so we just left it.

 

[COgirl]

FYI There was a Bill I can't remember the number but Marsha Looper brought it before the house in CO and I believe it passed or will so that it will no longer be illegal to collect rainwater. I think the whole rainwater water/graywater issue is stupid, how can a state own something that falls out of the sky, if I'm going to be a criminal I want it to be for something a little more impressive than collecting rainwater or useing my dishwater to water my outside plants.

 

[wifezilla]

You are right, but that new regulation only helps a few people.

"Colorado law dating back to the 19th century said every drop of rain must flow unimpeded into surrounding creeks and streams, that it was the property of farmers and ranchers and anyone else who had purchased the rights to those waterways.

"You've got to be kidding. You're breaking the law if you put a rain barrel in to capture rain?" said Rep. Marsha Looper, R-Calhan.

That was the reaction of Looper's constituents, prompting her and Romer to get the 120-year-old law changed. They did it by presenting a study that showed 97 percent of rainwater never makes it to streams because it evaporates.

The bill that has passed says residents can now collect it with certain restrictions.

"You can capture enough rain or snow to be able to put in a garden, to be able to irrigate up to an acre of land, to be able to possibly put out a small fire," Looper said.

Residents still can't harvest rain without a permit from the state engineer's office, and the permits are targeted for those who live in rural areas, not people living the suburbs.

"If you're tied to some type of commercial water system, or municipal water system, you may not be able to put a rain barrel in," Looper said.
"
http://cbs4denver.com/seenon/rain.water.collecting.2.971880.html

 

[COgirl]

Given the fact that there is now a second bill for new urban developments to be able to collect rainwater and attention is being brought to the isssue MAYBE in time we all won't have to hide and camoflauge our rainbarrels, we can all come out in the open without fear of reprisal and arrest and the rainbarrell police will be a thing of the past :happy_flower

 

[wifezilla]

I don't know. I enjoy my outlaw status.

Wifezilla....rebel without a clue

 

[DrakeMaiden]

My husband likes to say something along the lines of:

"Watch out, if you are breathing you are breaking the law, because the gov't owns the air, ya know?!"

He's just a little bitter about all the laws that would make it illegal to collect rainwater, grow a garden, etc., etc.

 

[Grow 4 Food]

I realize it is a little late now but I got mine at a feed / fertilizer store (the good no rotting blue plastic) for $5 a peice.

 

[aidenbaby]

Wow! That's a bargain! Home Depot just recently had one for $95 dollars the other day. I asked one of their employees about why they sell a product that is illegal to use and she just shrugged. It's also interesting that cities and suburbs are excluded in collecting as they are usually the ones with flooding type issues.

Off topic: Has anyone else wondered who created air-time, as in the air-time your cell phone uses? You can't touch either of them or bottle them or anything else of that nature but you can surely sell it. Sure wish I was in on the front end of that deal.