Comments on: Colorado Bill Legalizes Rainwater Harvesting

By: Mike Ruck

Mike Ruck — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 18:20:14 +0000

Haley, nice article. The image features a rainwater system I designed and installed at Bartlett Tree Experts in Raleigh, NC. It is a 10,000 gallon system that Bartlett uses in it’s maintenance division for mixing fertilizers, etc.. Your photo is mis-labelled though. It is a rainwater system, not a Gray water system. Rainwater and Gray water are not one in the same. Gray water is water leaving the home or office through sinks, washing machines, showers and tubs. Rainwater is the water that falls on sight and is much more pure as it hasn’t had contact with soaps, detergents and the like. Just wanted to point out that rainwater and gray water are very different from each other.
Keep up the great work educating your readers!
Mike Ruck
VP of ARCSA

By: Sewage treatment systems

Sewage treatment systems — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 15:20:18 +0000

Here in the UK rainwater harvesting is becoming big business. Most of the larger systems comprise of underground tanks, though many houses have large rain butts for the garden. I have even seen a small rainwater harvester on the balcony of an apartment in Leeds.

By: Oasis Rainwater Harvesting

Oasis Rainwater Harvesting — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 15:17:35 +0000

Rainwater harvesting should be made mandatory all over the world. Rain is a free source of the water that is in such short global supply.

By: Rainwater harvesting illegal in some US states! | Rainharvest.co.za

Rainwater harvesting illegal in some US states! | Rainharvest.co.za — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 06:28:48 +0000

[...] Source: Earth911.com [...]

By: Minnesota Twins Score with New Rainwater Harvester : CleanTechnica

Minnesota Twins Score with New Rainwater Harvester : CleanTechnica — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 13:13:14 +0000

[...] Getting large facilities like Target Field off the conventional water supply grid is one strategy for a sustainable future. The off-grid trend also applies to energy; for example, municipal like sewage treatment plants are starting to install solar panels to run giant pumps and other equipment. On the other hand, the water harvesting solution may be problematic in arid regions, especially parts of the western U.S. where longtime water rights issues currently impose legal restrictions on rainwater harvesting. [...]

By: No well, no water service … what do you do? « Rejuvenation Projects Blog

Fri, 18 Sep 2009 13:36:18 +0000

[...] If that sounds illogical to you, well, Colorado has weird water laws. The gist is this: the rain or snow that falls on your property is not yours. It belongs to someone downstream from you, someone who long ago applied for and was granted the rights to the water from your drainage. It is, therefore, illegal to use a rainbarrel or dam up a little creek that runs across your land. You’re stealing from the rightful owner. Read more about the new legislation. [...]

By: Haley Paul

Haley Paul — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 15:51:58 +0000

Here is the link to the study that revealed 97% of precipitation in the Denver area never made it to the streams: http://www.douglas.co.us/community/water/documents/HolisticApproachtoSustainableWaterManagementinNorthwestDouglasCounty.pdf

By: Water « Life in the Big Tree

Water « Life in the Big Tree — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 17:35:13 +0000

[...] One website claims that “a pivotal study focusing on the Denver area revealed 97 percent of precipitation never makes it to streams,” although the study is not cited. I’d be interested to see the study, if I could find it! [...]

By: Debra

Debra — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 01:52:40 +0000

I live in Central Texas and have just started using rainwater harvesting techniques. In our area they theorize that it takes some 500 years for rainwater to reach our water table and encourage rainwater harvesting when possible. I know of a family that has been living the last 10-15 years off of ONLY rainwater that they harvest. We average 19″ of rain per year where I live and they run their complete household use and outside plant use and a few head of livestock soly off of rainwater. I do not understand any city or state that says you can not harvest the rain. It is like the air it is there and above your property and why can’t you use it especially when its use would be fore the better of the community/area!!

By: OC Sean

OC Sean — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 20:31:24 +0000

I would guess that rainwater harvested is likely to be used for watering lawns or plants anyway. It ends up in the same place but is used at a time more appropriate for watering, like when it’s not raining.