States where it is Illegal to Collect Rainwater

Rainwater Collection Laws
Rainwater Collection Laws
AlabamaAlabamaNo Restrictions
AlaskaAlaskaNo Restrictions
ArizonaArizonaOffer Incentives
ArkansasArkansasRestrictions
CaliforniaCaliforniaRestrictions
ColoradoColoradoRestrictions
ConnecticutConnecticutNo Restrictions
DelawareDelawareNo Restrictions
FloridaFloridaOffer Incentives
GeorgiaGeorgiaRestrictions
HawaiiHawaiiOffer Incentives
IdahoIdahoNo Restrictions
IllinoisIllinoisRestrictions
IndianaIndianaNo Restrictions
IowaIowaNo Restrictions
KansasKansasOffer Incentives
KentuckyKentuckyNo Restrictions
LouisianaLouisianaNo Restrictions
MaineMaineNo Restrictions
MarylandMarylandOffer Incentives
MassachusettsMassachusettsNo Restrictions
MichiganMichiganOffer Incentives
MinnesotaMinnesotaOffer Incentives
MississippiMississippiNo Restrictions
MissouriMissouriNo Restrictions
MontanaMontanaNo Restrictions
NebraskaNebraskaNo Restrictions
NevadaNevadaRestrictions
New HampshireNew HampshireNo Restrictions
New JerseyNew JerseyOffer Incentives
New MexicoNew MexicoOffer Incentives
New YorkNew YorkNo Restrictions
North CarolinaNorth CarolinaOffer Incentives
North DakotaNorth DakotaOffer Incentives
OhioOhioRestrictions
OklahomaOklahomaNo Restrictions
OregonOregonOffer Incentives
PennsylvaniaPennsylvaniaOffer Incentives
Rhode IslandRhode IslandOffer Incentives
South CarolinaSouth CarolinaNo Restrictions
South DakotaSouth DakotaNo Restrictions
TennesseeTennesseeNo Restrictions
TexasTexasOffer Incentives
UtahUtahRestrictions
VermontVermontNo Restrictions
VirginiaVirginiaRestrictions
WashingtonWashingtonRestrictions
West VirginiaWest VirginiaNo Restrictions
WisconsinWisconsinRestrictions
WyomingWyomingOffer Incentives
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State Laws on Rainwater Collection

As global warming and the threat of water scarcity continue to loom, the ancient practice of rainwater harvesting is regaining attention. Embracing traditional wisdom, many homes across the U.S. are installing systems to gather and store rainwater for on-site use, which not only reduces the strain on municipal water facilities but also supports conservation efforts. In a country as geographically diverse as the United States, the laws surrounding the collection of rainwater vary. While the Federal Government holds no restrictions regarding the practice, state laws tend to differ based on historic water-rights, local ecosystems, and contemporary conservation priorities. Key findings include:

  • A significant majority of the states show considerable support for rainwater harvesting. These states not only permit rainwater collection but also offer incentives to encourage residents to do so.
  • However, five states — Georgia, Washington, Utah, Wisconsin, Colorado, California, Ohio, Arkansas, Illinois, Virginia, and Nevada — do impose restrictions on the volume and manner of rainwater collection to protect local ecosystems and uphold historic water rights.
  • Interestingly, it is predominantly the Western states that have restrictions. This can be traced back to the old "first-come, first-serve" water laws or 'prior appropriation', where all precipitation was considered to belong to existing water-rights owners.
  • Importantly, while these states have restrictions, none of them outright ban the collection of rainwater, reflecting a nationwide acknowledgment of the role rainwater harvesting can play in sustainable living.

By Region

Alabama

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Alabama

Metric

Value

Rank

Rainwater Collection Laws

No Restrictions

Alaska

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Alaska

Metric

Value

Rank

Rainwater Collection Laws

No Restrictions

Arizona

See More
Arizona

Metric

Value

Rank

Rainwater Collection Laws

Offer Incentives

Arkansas

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Arkansas

Metric

Value

Rank

Rainwater Collection Laws

Restrictions

California

See More
California

Metric

Value

Rank

Rainwater Collection Laws

Restrictions

Colorado

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Colorado

Metric

Value

Rank

Rainwater Collection Laws

Restrictions

Connecticut

See More
Connecticut

Metric

Value

Rank

Rainwater Collection Laws

No Restrictions

Delaware

See More
Delaware

Metric

Value

Rank

Rainwater Collection Laws

No Restrictions

Florida

See More
Florida

Metric

Value

Rank

Rainwater Collection Laws

Offer Incentives

Georgia

See More
Georgia

Metric

Value

Rank

Rainwater Collection Laws

Restrictions

Hawaii

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Hawaii

Metric

Value

Rank

Rainwater Collection Laws

Offer Incentives

Idaho

See More
Idaho

Metric

Value

Rank

Rainwater Collection Laws

No Restrictions

Illinois

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Illinois

Metric

Value

Rank

Rainwater Collection Laws

Restrictions

Indiana

See More
Indiana

Metric

Value

Rank

Rainwater Collection Laws

No Restrictions

Iowa

See More
Iowa

Metric

Value

Rank

Rainwater Collection Laws

No Restrictions

Kansas

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Kansas

Metric

Value

Rank

Rainwater Collection Laws

Offer Incentives

Kentucky

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Kentucky

Metric

Value

Rank

Rainwater Collection Laws

No Restrictions

Louisiana

See More
Louisiana

Metric

Value

Rank

Rainwater Collection Laws

No Restrictions

Maine

See More
Maine

Metric

Value

Rank

Rainwater Collection Laws

No Restrictions

Maryland

See More
Maryland

Metric

Value

Rank

Rainwater Collection Laws

Offer Incentives

Massachusetts

See More
Massachusetts

Metric

Value

Rank

Rainwater Collection Laws

No Restrictions

Michigan

See More
Michigan

Metric

Value

Rank

Rainwater Collection Laws

Offer Incentives

Minnesota

See More
Minnesota

Metric

Value

Rank

Rainwater Collection Laws

Offer Incentives

Mississippi

See More
Mississippi

Metric

Value

Rank

Rainwater Collection Laws

No Restrictions

Missouri

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Missouri

Metric

Value

Rank

Rainwater Collection Laws

No Restrictions

Montana

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Montana

Metric

Value

Rank

Rainwater Collection Laws

No Restrictions

Nebraska

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Nebraska

Metric

Value

Rank

Rainwater Collection Laws

No Restrictions

Nevada

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Nevada

Metric

Value

Rank

Rainwater Collection Laws

Restrictions

New Hampshire

See More
New Hampshire

Metric

Value

Rank

Rainwater Collection Laws

No Restrictions

New Jersey

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New Jersey

Metric

Value

Rank

Rainwater Collection Laws

Offer Incentives

New Mexico

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New Mexico

Metric

Value

Rank

Rainwater Collection Laws

Offer Incentives

New York

See More
New York

Metric

Value

Rank

Rainwater Collection Laws

No Restrictions

North Carolina

See More
North Carolina

Metric

Value

Rank

Rainwater Collection Laws

Offer Incentives

North Dakota

See More
North Dakota

Metric

Value

Rank

Rainwater Collection Laws

Offer Incentives

Ohio

See More
Ohio

Metric

Value

Rank

Rainwater Collection Laws

Restrictions

Oklahoma

See More
Oklahoma

Metric

Value

Rank

Rainwater Collection Laws

No Restrictions

Oregon

See More
Oregon

Metric

Value

Rank

Rainwater Collection Laws

Offer Incentives

Pennsylvania

See More
Pennsylvania

Metric

Value

Rank

Rainwater Collection Laws

Offer Incentives

Rhode Island

See More
Rhode Island

Metric

Value

Rank

Rainwater Collection Laws

Offer Incentives

South Carolina

See More
South Carolina

Metric

Value

Rank

Rainwater Collection Laws

No Restrictions

South Dakota

See More
South Dakota

Metric

Value

Rank

Rainwater Collection Laws

No Restrictions

Tennessee

See More
Tennessee

Metric

Value

Rank

Rainwater Collection Laws

No Restrictions

Texas

See More
Texas

Metric

Value

Rank

Rainwater Collection Laws

Offer Incentives

Utah

See More
Utah

Metric

Value

Rank

Rainwater Collection Laws

Restrictions

Vermont

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Vermont

Metric

Value

Rank

Rainwater Collection Laws

No Restrictions

Virginia

See More
Virginia

Metric

Value

Rank

Rainwater Collection Laws

Restrictions

Washington

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Washington

Metric

Value

Rank

Rainwater Collection Laws

Restrictions

West Virginia

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West Virginia

Metric

Value

Rank

Rainwater Collection Laws

No Restrictions

Wisconsin

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Wisconsin

Metric

Value

Rank

Rainwater Collection Laws

Restrictions

Wyoming

See More
Wyoming

Metric

Value

Rank

Rainwater Collection Laws

Offer Incentives

Table

Region ↕Rainwater Collection Laws ↕
Alabama iconAlabamaNo Restrictions
Alaska iconAlaskaNo Restrictions
Arizona iconArizonaOffer Incentives
Arkansas iconArkansasRestrictions
California iconCaliforniaRestrictions
Colorado iconColoradoRestrictions
Connecticut iconConnecticutNo Restrictions
Delaware iconDelawareNo Restrictions
Florida iconFloridaOffer Incentives
Georgia iconGeorgiaRestrictions
Hawaii iconHawaiiOffer Incentives
Idaho iconIdahoNo Restrictions
Illinois iconIllinoisRestrictions
Indiana iconIndianaNo Restrictions
Iowa iconIowaNo Restrictions
Kansas iconKansasOffer Incentives
Kentucky iconKentuckyNo Restrictions
Louisiana iconLouisianaNo Restrictions
Maine iconMaineNo Restrictions
Maryland iconMarylandOffer Incentives
Massachusetts iconMassachusettsNo Restrictions
Michigan iconMichiganOffer Incentives
Minnesota iconMinnesotaOffer Incentives
Mississippi iconMississippiNo Restrictions
Missouri iconMissouriNo Restrictions
Montana iconMontanaNo Restrictions
Nebraska iconNebraskaNo Restrictions
Nevada iconNevadaRestrictions
New Hampshire iconNew HampshireNo Restrictions
New Jersey iconNew JerseyOffer Incentives
New Mexico iconNew MexicoOffer Incentives
New York iconNew YorkNo Restrictions
North Carolina iconNorth CarolinaOffer Incentives
North Dakota iconNorth DakotaOffer Incentives
Ohio iconOhioRestrictions
Oklahoma iconOklahomaNo Restrictions
Oregon iconOregonOffer Incentives
Pennsylvania iconPennsylvaniaOffer Incentives
Rhode Island iconRhode IslandOffer Incentives
South Carolina iconSouth CarolinaNo Restrictions
South Dakota iconSouth DakotaNo Restrictions
Tennessee iconTennesseeNo Restrictions
Texas iconTexasOffer Incentives
Utah iconUtahRestrictions
Vermont iconVermontNo Restrictions
Virginia iconVirginiaRestrictions
Washington iconWashingtonRestrictions
West Virginia iconWest VirginiaNo Restrictions
Wisconsin iconWisconsinRestrictions
Wyoming iconWyomingOffer Incentives
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