Change in rain water rules still leaves some dry
By RMI Staff 
| August 4, 2009 | 9:24 AM
A recent change in state law regarding the collection and personal use of rain water, has left some property owners confused. The change allows people to capture rain water to supplement their water supplies, a practice that in the past has run up against other water laws. From the Vail Daily:
Some of the early news stories on the change were unclear about the change in the law, creating an expectation that this “new” source of water would be widely available. But the new rule is very limited in scope. It doesn’t enable everyone to start catching and using rain water willy-nilly. In fact, the only people eligible are those who have a well permit from the state.
“We’re starting to get some calls on this,” said local water commissioner Scott Hummer. “You can only use rain water for the same domestic indoor uses authorized by a well permit.”
In other words, people who get their water from a utility are not allowed to capture and use rainwater. The fundamental premise of state water law is still that every drop of rain needs to flow back into a river or into the groundwater, where it becomes part of a downstream water right owned by someone else who previously claimed it.
Read the full story here.
rain water, summit county, vail
