4 ms·

> despite the fact that there's good data that it doesn't matter to the macro hydro systems if people collect rainwater There's an interesting comment below su

by mrec 7y ago

> despite the fact that there's good data that it doesn't matter to the macro hydro systems if people collect rainwater There's an interesting comment below suggesting that bans may be more about preventing mosquito breeding grounds than capturing water supply.

monocasa 7y ago
Here in CO at least it's 100% a water rights thing. They're afraid of downstream lack of water if everyone is collecting their runoff (and afraid that the smaller farmers won't need to buy as much if they're collecting their own).
- davidw 7y ago
  > Here in CO Spelling out places might be helpful in a forum that is global. To me, CO means * Colombia, the country. I don't know much about water rights, usage and distribution there. * Colorado, the US state. Certainly a place where water rights are a hot topic. * Central Oregon, where I live, where it is also very dry and water makes or breaks farm and ranch operations. * Province of Como, abbreviated CO on license plates in Italy. Water isn't quite so contested there as far as I know.
  - monocasa 7y ago
    Colorado
  - jacobsenscott 7y ago
    Colorado I think. We need to put our rain barrels behind the house so the g-man (government man) doesn't see it.
    - AWildC182 7y ago
      IIRC they were made legal explicitly around 2016 and were never actually illegal in any meaningful way.
      - monocasa 7y ago
        It was explicitly illegal before that, and now you can only collect two barrels from your roof if you live in a rural area (I think you have to be on a well).
        AWildC182 7y ago
        http://www.leg.state.co.us/clics/clics2016a/csl.nsf/fsbillcont3/E38A8DB3F0B7739887257F240063F8A2?Open&file=1005_signed.pdf http://www.leg.state.co.us/clics/clics2016a/csl.nsf/fsbillco... Nothing about wells or rural areas, just 1-4 family units max and 110 gallons https://source.colostate.edu/extension-offers-fact-sheet-on-how-to-harvest-rainwater-under-new-colorado-rules/ https://source.colostate.edu/extension-offers-fact-sheet-on-... Previously they were only "technically" illegal because as written, you had to prove they injured the water rights of others.
        monocasa 7y ago
        > Nothing about wells or rural areas, just 1-4 family units max and 110 gallons The part you're looking for is the part about the state engineer. I'm not sure if it's all settled, but the goal there is to ban it in places where they can make an argument that the grey water in the rain barrels and the rest of the water infrastructure might mix. That means that rural areas off of water infrastructure are the only safe ones long term. > Previously they were only "technically" illegal because as written, you had to prove they injured the water rights of others. There was case law that any collection infringed on the water rights of others, because otherwise the water would flow into aquifers and what not if you only had a third grade knowledge of the water cycle. You didn't have to find the specific person that was harmed. My MIL in rural JeffCo got in a zoning fight with county gov, and that was one of the things they successfully hit her with. It was enforced, my own family got hit with it.
        thatcat 7y ago
        How can you prove that it doesn't evaporate?
  - claytoneast 7y ago
    Funny, I grew up in Central Oregon and my friends and I (who are from there) always call it "the CO" and many other people assume that we mean Colorado.
- asteli 7y ago
  IIRC they aren't afraid of people collecting runoff from their roofs -- more like collecting all of the water that falls on their land/building artificial reservoirs while starving the downstream watershed...
  - monocasa 7y ago
    But the root is, that's not really a thing out here. The runoff from rain like that doesn't tend to make its way into the water system on that go through the water cycle. Out here it mainly evaporates and sublemates. The water that makes its way into aquifers and rivers is almost entirely glacier/snowpack melt.

by mrec 7y ago

monocasa 7y ago

Here in CO at least it's 100% a water rights thing. They're afraid of downstream lack of water if everyone is collecting their runoff (and afraid that the smaller farmers won't need to buy as much if they're collecting their own).

davidw 7y ago
> Here in CO Spelling out places might be helpful in a forum that is global. To me, CO means * Colombia, the country. I don't know much about water rights, usage and distribution there. * Colorado, the US state. Certainly a place where water rights are a hot topic. * Central Oregon, where I live, where it is also very dry and water makes or breaks farm and ranch operations. * Province of Como, abbreviated CO on license plates in Italy. Water isn't quite so contested there as far as I know.
- monocasa 7y ago
  Colorado
- jacobsenscott 7y ago
  Colorado I think. We need to put our rain barrels behind the house so the g-man (government man) doesn't see it.
  - AWildC182 7y ago
    IIRC they were made legal explicitly around 2016 and were never actually illegal in any meaningful way.
    - monocasa 7y ago
      It was explicitly illegal before that, and now you can only collect two barrels from your roof if you live in a rural area (I think you have to be on a well).
      - AWildC182 7y ago
        http://www.leg.state.co.us/clics/clics2016a/csl.nsf/fsbillcont3/E38A8DB3F0B7739887257F240063F8A2?Open&file=1005_signed.pdf http://www.leg.state.co.us/clics/clics2016a/csl.nsf/fsbillco... Nothing about wells or rural areas, just 1-4 family units max and 110 gallons https://source.colostate.edu/extension-offers-fact-sheet-on-how-to-harvest-rainwater-under-new-colorado-rules/ https://source.colostate.edu/extension-offers-fact-sheet-on-... Previously they were only "technically" illegal because as written, you had to prove they injured the water rights of others.
        monocasa 7y ago
        > Nothing about wells or rural areas, just 1-4 family units max and 110 gallons The part you're looking for is the part about the state engineer. I'm not sure if it's all settled, but the goal there is to ban it in places where they can make an argument that the grey water in the rain barrels and the rest of the water infrastructure might mix. That means that rural areas off of water infrastructure are the only safe ones long term. > Previously they were only "technically" illegal because as written, you had to prove they injured the water rights of others. There was case law that any collection infringed on the water rights of others, because otherwise the water would flow into aquifers and what not if you only had a third grade knowledge of the water cycle. You didn't have to find the specific person that was harmed. My MIL in rural JeffCo got in a zoning fight with county gov, and that was one of the things they successfully hit her with. It was enforced, my own family got hit with it.
        thatcat 7y ago
        How can you prove that it doesn't evaporate?
- claytoneast 7y ago
  Funny, I grew up in Central Oregon and my friends and I (who are from there) always call it "the CO" and many other people assume that we mean Colorado.
asteli 7y ago
IIRC they aren't afraid of people collecting runoff from their roofs -- more like collecting all of the water that falls on their land/building artificial reservoirs while starving the downstream watershed...
- monocasa 7y ago
  But the root is, that's not really a thing out here. The runoff from rain like that doesn't tend to make its way into the water system on that go through the water cycle. Out here it mainly evaporates and sublemates. The water that makes its way into aquifers and rivers is almost entirely glacier/snowpack melt.