CALIFORNIA WATER NEWS

June 2008

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Rainwater Harvesting Catches the Attention of State and Local Goverment

The collection, conveyance, and storage of rainwater— known as rainwater harvesting—is a simple and cost-efficient water resource used throughout the ages that can be used today to assist local and state governments, private entities, and individuals to increase water supply and reduce global warming impacts. While other possible solutions to the climate change crisis involve new or more stringent regulations, such as those being developed by the California Air Resources Board under AB 32, some existing state and local regulations actually present a legal barrier to the effective use of rainwater harvesting for irrigation and domestic purposes. Other state and local regulations may permit rainwater harvesting, but the mechanism is underutilized or overlooked. State and local governments are in a unique position to not only implement rainwater harvesting in public buildings and properties but to encourage the adoption of policies that create incentives to make use of this natural and free commodity.