States Where It Is Illegal to Collect Rainwater

Map

Table

Introduction

Rainwater harvesting is a practice that has been gaining popularity over the years. It involves collecting rainwater and using it for various purposes such as irrigation, household chores, and even drinking. However, not all states in the US allow this practice. In some states, there are restrictions on collecting rainwater – these states are Arkansas, California, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Nevada, Ohio, Utah, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin.

California is one of the states where rainwater collection is restricted. The state has a complex water rights system, and rainwater is considered a part of this system. Therefore, collecting rainwater without the proper permits is illegal. However, there are exceptions for small-scale collection, such as rain barrels that capture roof runoff.

Colorado is another state where rainwater collection is restricted. The state’s water laws are among the most complex in the country, and collecting rainwater is regulated under these laws. The state requires permits for rainwater collection, and the amount of water collected is limited. Violating these laws can result in hefty fines.

Illinois is another state where rainwater collection is restricted. The state’s water laws consider rainwater as a part of the state’s water supply, and collecting it without the proper permits is illegal. The state requires permits for any activity that alters the state’s water supply, including rainwater collection. However, there are exemptions for small-scale collection.

Utah is another state where rainwater collection is restricted. The state’s water laws consider rainwater as a part of the state’s water supply, and collecting it without the proper permits is illegal. The state requires permits for rainwater collection, and the amount of water collected is limited. However, the state offers exemptions for small-scale collection, such as rain barrels that capture roof runoff.

States by Rainwater Collection Restrictions

StateRainwater Collection LawsTotal Precipitation
AlabamaNo Restrictions1,656.1 mm
AlaskaNo Restrictions1,006.3 mm
ConnecticutNo Restrictions1,297.2 mm
DelawareNo Restrictions1,038.6 mm
IdahoNo Restrictions531.9 mm
IndianaNo Restrictions1,161.5 mm
IowaNo Restrictions790.4 mm
KentuckyNo Restrictions1,356.4 mm
LouisianaNo Restrictions1,688.8 mm
MaineNo Restrictions1,001.3 mm
MassachusettsNo Restrictions1,390.7 mm
MississippiNo Restrictions1,695.5 mm
MissouriNo Restrictions1,118.4 mm
MontanaNo Restrictions363.2 mm
NebraskaNo Restrictions575.3 mm
New HampshireNo Restrictions1,166.9 mm
New YorkNo Restrictions1,175.5 mm
OklahomaNo Restrictions855 mm
South CarolinaNo Restrictions1,205.7 mm
South DakotaNo Restrictions461.5 mm
TennesseeNo Restrictions1,497.1 mm
VermontNo Restrictions1,063.8 mm
West VirginiaNo Restrictions1,081.8 mm
ArizonaOffer Incentives319 mm
FloridaOffer Incentives1,406.1 mm
HawaiiOffer Incentives
KansasOffer Incentives692.2 mm
MarylandOffer Incentives1,056.1 mm
MichiganOffer Incentives835.9 mm
MinnesotaOffer Incentives601.2 mm
New JerseyOffer Incentives1,218.9 mm
New MexicoOffer Incentives314.2 mm
North CarolinaOffer Incentives1,209.3 mm
North DakotaOffer Incentives395.7 mm
OregonOffer Incentives723.9 mm
PennsylvaniaOffer Incentives1,171.4 mm
Rhode IslandOffer Incentives1,264.2 mm
TexasOffer Incentives732.3 mm
WyomingOffer Incentives365.5 mm
ArkansasRestrictions1,280.7 mm
CaliforniaRestrictions481.1 mm
ColoradoRestrictions434.3 mm
GeorgiaRestrictions1,446.8 mm
IllinoisRestrictions1,043.9 mm
NevadaRestrictions243.3 mm
OhioRestrictions1,058.2 mm
UtahRestrictions344.2 mm
VirginiaRestrictions1,037.8 mm
WashingtonRestrictions1,114.8 mm
WisconsinRestrictions760.2 mm

Rainwater Collection Laws by State

Alabama

See less

do_not_disturb_on

Rainwater Collection Laws

help

No Restrictions

Total Precipitation

help

1,656.1 mm

Ranked in the US

#3

Total Precipitation

Alaska

See more

add_circle

Rainwater Collection Laws

help

No Restrictions

Total Precipitation

help

1,006.3 mm

Ranked in the US

#28

Total Precipitation

Arizona

See more

add_circle

Rainwater Collection Laws

help

Offer Incentives

Total Precipitation

help

319 mm

Ranked in the US

#47

Total Precipitation

Arkansas

See more

add_circle

Rainwater Collection Laws

help

Restrictions

Total Precipitation

help

1,280.7 mm

Ranked in the US

#10

Total Precipitation

California

See more

add_circle

Rainwater Collection Laws

help

Restrictions

Total Precipitation

help

481.1 mm

Ranked in the US

#40

Total Precipitation

Colorado

See more

add_circle

Rainwater Collection Laws

help

Restrictions

Total Precipitation

help

434.3 mm

Ranked in the US

#42

Total Precipitation

Connecticut

See more

add_circle

Rainwater Collection Laws

help

No Restrictions

Total Precipitation

help

1,297.2 mm

Ranked in the US

#9

Total Precipitation

Delaware

See more

add_circle

Rainwater Collection Laws

help

No Restrictions

Total Precipitation

help

1,038.6 mm

Ranked in the US

#26

Total Precipitation

Florida

See more

add_circle

Rainwater Collection Laws

help

Offer Incentives

Total Precipitation

help

1,406.1 mm

Ranked in the US

#6

Total Precipitation

Georgia

See more

add_circle

Rainwater Collection Laws

help

Restrictions

Total Precipitation

help

1,446.8 mm

Ranked in the US

#5

Total Precipitation

Hawaii

See more

add_circle

Rainwater Collection Laws

help

Offer Incentives

Idaho

See more

add_circle

Rainwater Collection Laws

help

No Restrictions

Total Precipitation

help

531.9 mm

Ranked in the US

#39

Total Precipitation

Illinois

See more

add_circle

Rainwater Collection Laws

help

Restrictions

Total Precipitation

help

1,043.9 mm

Ranked in the US

#25

Total Precipitation

Indiana

See more

add_circle

Rainwater Collection Laws

help

No Restrictions

Total Precipitation

help

1,161.5 mm

Ranked in the US

#18

Total Precipitation

Iowa

See more

add_circle

Rainwater Collection Laws

help

No Restrictions

Total Precipitation

help

790.4 mm

Ranked in the US

#32

Total Precipitation

Kansas

See more

add_circle

Rainwater Collection Laws

help

Offer Incentives

Total Precipitation

help

692.2 mm

Ranked in the US

#36

Total Precipitation

Kentucky

See more

add_circle

Rainwater Collection Laws

help

No Restrictions

Total Precipitation

help

1,356.4 mm

Ranked in the US

#8

Total Precipitation

Louisiana

See more

add_circle

Rainwater Collection Laws

help

No Restrictions

Total Precipitation

help

1,688.8 mm

Ranked in the US

#2

Total Precipitation

Maine

See more

add_circle

Rainwater Collection Laws

help

No Restrictions

Total Precipitation

help

1,001.3 mm

Ranked in the US

#29

Total Precipitation

Maryland

See more

add_circle

Rainwater Collection Laws

help

Offer Incentives

Total Precipitation

help

1,056.1 mm

Ranked in the US

#24

Total Precipitation

Massachusetts

See more

add_circle

Rainwater Collection Laws

help

No Restrictions

Total Precipitation

help

1,390.7 mm

Ranked in the US

#7

Total Precipitation

Michigan

See more

add_circle

Rainwater Collection Laws

help

Offer Incentives

Total Precipitation

help

835.9 mm

Ranked in the US

#31

Total Precipitation

Minnesota

See more

add_circle

Rainwater Collection Laws

help

Offer Incentives

Total Precipitation

help

601.2 mm

Ranked in the US

#37

Total Precipitation

Mississippi

See more

add_circle

Rainwater Collection Laws

help

No Restrictions

Total Precipitation

help

1,695.5 mm

Ranked in the US

#1

Total Precipitation

Missouri

See more

add_circle

Rainwater Collection Laws

help

No Restrictions

Total Precipitation

help

1,118.4 mm

Ranked in the US

#19

Total Precipitation

Montana

See more

add_circle

Rainwater Collection Laws

help

No Restrictions

Total Precipitation

help

363.2 mm

Ranked in the US

#45

Total Precipitation

Nebraska

See more

add_circle

Rainwater Collection Laws

help

No Restrictions

Total Precipitation

help

575.3 mm

Ranked in the US

#38

Total Precipitation

Nevada

See more

add_circle

Rainwater Collection Laws

help

Restrictions

Total Precipitation

help

243.3 mm

Ranked in the US

#49

Total Precipitation

New Hampshire

See more

add_circle

Rainwater Collection Laws

help

No Restrictions

Total Precipitation

help

1,166.9 mm

Ranked in the US

#17

Total Precipitation

New Jersey

See more

add_circle

Rainwater Collection Laws

help

Offer Incentives

Total Precipitation

help

1,218.9 mm

Ranked in the US

#12

Total Precipitation

New Mexico

See more

add_circle

Rainwater Collection Laws

help

Offer Incentives

Total Precipitation

help

314.2 mm

Ranked in the US

#48

Total Precipitation

New York

See more

add_circle

Rainwater Collection Laws

help

No Restrictions

Total Precipitation

help

1,175.5 mm

Ranked in the US

#15

Total Precipitation

North Carolina

See more

add_circle

Rainwater Collection Laws

help

Offer Incentives

Total Precipitation

help

1,209.3 mm

Ranked in the US

#13

Total Precipitation

North Dakota

See more

add_circle

Rainwater Collection Laws

help

Offer Incentives

Total Precipitation

help

395.7 mm

Ranked in the US

#43

Total Precipitation

Ohio

See more

add_circle

Rainwater Collection Laws

help

Restrictions

Total Precipitation

help

1,058.2 mm

Ranked in the US

#23

Total Precipitation

Oklahoma

See more

add_circle

Rainwater Collection Laws

help

No Restrictions

Total Precipitation

help

855 mm

Ranked in the US

#30

Total Precipitation

Oregon

See more

add_circle

Rainwater Collection Laws

help

Offer Incentives

Total Precipitation

help

723.9 mm

Ranked in the US

#35

Total Precipitation

Pennsylvania

See more

add_circle

Rainwater Collection Laws

help

Offer Incentives

Total Precipitation

help

1,171.4 mm

Ranked in the US

#16

Total Precipitation

Rhode Island

See more

add_circle

Rainwater Collection Laws

help

Offer Incentives

Total Precipitation

help

1,264.2 mm

Ranked in the US

#11

Total Precipitation

South Carolina

See more

add_circle

Rainwater Collection Laws

help

No Restrictions

Total Precipitation

help

1,205.7 mm

Ranked in the US

#14

Total Precipitation

South Dakota

See more

add_circle

Rainwater Collection Laws

help

No Restrictions

Total Precipitation

help

461.5 mm

Ranked in the US

#41

Total Precipitation

Tennessee

See more

add_circle

Rainwater Collection Laws

help

No Restrictions

Total Precipitation

help

1,497.1 mm

Ranked in the US

#4

Total Precipitation

Texas

See more

add_circle

Rainwater Collection Laws

help

Offer Incentives

Total Precipitation

help

732.3 mm

Ranked in the US

#34

Total Precipitation

Utah

See more

add_circle

Rainwater Collection Laws

help

Restrictions

Total Precipitation

help

344.2 mm

Ranked in the US

#46

Total Precipitation

Vermont

See more

add_circle

Rainwater Collection Laws

help

No Restrictions

Total Precipitation

help

1,063.8 mm

Ranked in the US

#22

Total Precipitation

Virginia

See more

add_circle

Rainwater Collection Laws

help

Restrictions

Total Precipitation

help

1,037.8 mm

Ranked in the US

#27

Total Precipitation

Washington

See more

add_circle

Rainwater Collection Laws

help

Restrictions

Total Precipitation

help

1,114.8 mm

Ranked in the US

#20

Total Precipitation

West Virginia

See more

add_circle

Rainwater Collection Laws

help

No Restrictions

Total Precipitation

help

1,081.8 mm

Ranked in the US

#21

Total Precipitation

Wisconsin

See more

add_circle

Rainwater Collection Laws

help

Restrictions

Total Precipitation

help

760.2 mm

Ranked in the US

#33

Total Precipitation

Wyoming

See more

add_circle

Rainwater Collection Laws

help

Offer Incentives

Total Precipitation

help

365.5 mm

Ranked in the US

#44

Total Precipitation

FAQs

Is it illegal to collect rainwater ?

It is not illegal to collect rainwater in the US, but there are restrictions and regulations in some states.

Why is it illegal to collect rainwater ?

The reasons for the restrictions on rainwater collection vary but are often related to concerns over water rights, water quality, and the potential impact on downstream water users.

List of states where it is illegal to collect rainwater

There is no state in the US where collecting rainwater is illegal, but there are states that have restrictions around rainwater collection. These states are :

1. Arkansas
2. California
3. Colorado
4. Georgia
5. Illinois
6. Nevada
7. Ohio
8. Utah
9. Virginia
10. Washington
11. Wisconsin