Who owns the Rain that Runs off your Roof?
If you live in Seattle, then you can safely harvest the rain that happens to hit your roof rather than letting it run down the drain. But in outside Seattle, in Washington state, you would be breaking the law. According to some Washington state residents, regulators tend to look the other way, but it's time to get rid of the bans. Washington water-rights laws were established in the late 1800s and it's time for serious overhaul.
Rainwater is considered the cleanest form of harvested water and can be used for toilet flushing, hose bibs, industrial applications, domestic clothes washing, irrigation, water features and other approved usages. It can generate savings by reducing utility fees charged for potable water use and sanitary sewer use. It protects our local water bodies such as the Puget Sound, Lake Union and Lake Washington by reducing combined sewer overflows during peak storm events. And, rainwater harvesting conserves water by reducing demand for potable water that is used for non-potable purposes.
Washington Businesses are in Better Legal Shape
If you own a business in Washington State you are in better shape. The State of Washington Building Codes Council in 2002 developed guidelines for installation of rainwater harvesting systems at commercial facilities. They are similar to the City of Portland guidelines, but require a larger cistern sizes and are limited to roof areas. In 2003, the Washington State Legislature approved a 10 percent reduction in storm water fees for any commercial facility that installed a rainwater harvesting system in compliance with the guidelines (Washington State Legislature, 2003).
According to the Seattle Department of Public Works, "Rainwater harvesting can be an important green building strategy, and can contribute toward credits in both the LEED™ standard and Built Green™ program." Additional information on rain water harvesting, obtaining rain barrels, and smart watering is available at Seattle.gov.
by Darryl West, Local Green Circle, June 2nd, 2009
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