One of the greatest steps forward that local communities have taken of late is the push to collect rainwater to offset your water use. It is often an easy way to help out the environment and, in the long run, simply save water. There don’t really seem to be any catches to it either. Rain falls from the sky, hits your roof and runs in to your drums or barrels or tanks.
If only it were that simple.
Notch up another one for the members of the Idiots Anonymous who have apparently been camping out in Bellingham, Washington. Apparently, rainwater doesn’t actually belong to individuals, but to the state as a whole. Therefore, all the wonderful efforts of communities to collect water are actually illegal.
Not just frowned upon, or morally unethical, or shifty – all of which water collection is not – but actually illegal, so much so that in the future such legalities could be used in a court of law.
It comes down once again to the simple fact that humanity is doomed to an ever continuing cycle of idiot and misanthropic events and situations that will, eventually, simply wear down those of us with half a brain, and leave planet Earth populated by half-wits and mimes (often the same thing).
This information is coming to us from the Bellingham Herald, who recently ran a story entitled “Does saving rainwater violate state law?” by Jennifer Langston. “We’re not going to start issuing permits for a pickle barrel in the backyard. But what if it’s four pickle barrels or a system that has 20,000 gallons of storage?” said Brian Walsh, a manager in the Department of Ecology’s water resources program.
Mr. Walsh, manager of the Department of Ecology, who the hell cares if it’s 2 million! It is rainwater you simpleton. It is wet water, falling from the clouds in the sky, on to roof’s and paddocks which may very well be decked out with enough pickle barrels to quench the thirst of a small army, like Canada’s. But unless someone is filling their aforementioned barrel from a river or other form of wet estuary, what right minded individual is going to attempt to enforce this law?
According to Langston, Seattle has obtained a citywide water-right permit, which allows for rain to be collected from most rooftops in the city. The “most” there refers to the few neighborhoods, mostly areas north of 85th street that see their stormwater empty into creeks and streams and lakes.
Just how is this stormwater making its way from Joe Bloggs’ roof and backyard out in to the streets and gutters so that it can then run into whatever lake lies at the end of it. How much rain is already soaked up by the grass that covers many a backyard? Is that grass acting illegally hogging all that water for itself?
If this law is not soon revoked, then my faith in humanity will once again drop another few notches down. And while Washington state lawmakers may not be out to please Joshua S. Hill of Melbourne, Australia, one can at least hope that they are going to try and use at least a modicum of common sense. It’d be a change, sure, but it’s a change for the better!
Update – thanks to cchiovitti who, in the comments below, alerted us to the fact that Eastern Colorado also has similar restrictions on who owns rainwater. Make sure to leave a comment if your state has decided to take a leave of absence from their senses as well.
credit: Pete Baugh at Flickr under a Creative Commons license
Where do I get my breathing license?
I live in Washington state, and haven’t heard of this down here in South Bend. Time to start writing letters to the Governor again, and the rest of the air heads collecting paychecks in Olympia.
Just goes to show us not all the idiots are in Washington, DC.
We just moved to Purcellville, VA and the town encourages us to use rain barrels! In our ‘welcome packet’ they even include a pamphlet on how to set up a rain barrel. I think that a city/state trying to claim rainwater is ridiculous. Cities should be encouraging rain water collection…after all it keeps you from drawing on their water source!
You cry about rain water but you let power plants use trillions of gallons of freshwater each day. As much as 70% of that freshwater is Evaporated. If you really cared about a water shortage I suggest you demand the power co. to Desalinate thier cooling water from the ocean and the left over desalinated water be added to our aquifer. I can live without power but nobody can live without water!
oh, and by the way, Leslie is totally right. If the state owns the water, they should pay for flooding damages and snow removal, as well as in-state water transportation through pipes and such.
I agree with David from New Mexico that farmers need rain water for their crops. However, it shouldn’t be illegal to collect water from your own storm drain that falls on your own roof. If it falls on your roof, it’s on your property and a few gallons from your roof won’t hurt the farmer’s crops. It won’t. If someone diverted water from flowing into a farmer’s land then sure it can be punishable by law.In some cases, though, actions that are considered “green” to protect the environment actually hurt the environment, this not being one of them. There’s no problem with drinking rain water off your roof. Seriously.
…why do people live in the desert? And then complain about the lack of water?
I liked the article. Sorry for my english if mistaken. I am thinking of moving out from big city like Athens – Greece and will stay with my b/f to an island. We were thinking of making some kind of ecological awakeness so i would like to know more about that law thing about water. If it comes from up above why should i go against the law if i collect it into a barrel or so?? Well, thank you for your time.