Illegal to catch rainwater

[rambone]

Apparently in at least a few states (UT, WA, CO), it is illegal to trap rainwater for your own use, such as watering your garden or washing cars. This is just another example of an ignorant law criminalizing a victimless activity.



It’s Illegal to Collect Rainwater | Fellowship of the Minds

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/29/us/29rain.html?_r=2

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jjxg8f3Gq0"]YouTube - Utah news reports that collecting/using rainwater is ILLEGAL[/ame]

 

[INGunGuy]

Sorry, but please dont ban me....

What a load of monkey **** this is.... I would tell the city to go take a flying leap... my gawd... I cant even believe it, and that limp dick dweeb they had explaining about "water rights" NEEDS to get a job for a living other than sucking uncle Sams tit. Water rights what the **** are those? EVERYONE HAS THE RIGHT TO WATER!!!!!!!!!!

What a crock of ****!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ok, my rant is over...

INGunGuy

 

[shibumiseeker]

Yeah, I heard this for the first time a couple years ago and was shocked and disgusted too. Water rights are big business out west. Guess who benefits most? Not the average person.

 

[Archbishop]

I recently purchased some land in Utah and ran into this concept. Basically the idea is that because water is so limited you have to purchase the right to use what's there. When you buy land you need to also purchase a water right deed to. Not saying I agree with it but this is the way it is.
I was just out there recently and I talked to a local that said, "My neighbor is stealing my grass." (By letting his cattle graze wild and eat what ever grass they came to.) Such an odd concept. I could see if he'd phrased it to say his cattle are destroying my land, but he used the word "steal".
As to the collecting rainwater bit. They just passed a new law that allows you to collect rainwater off your roof. I can't remember, but it may only be for homeowners not businesses.

 

[Expat]

I always thought the West was supposed to be populated by rugged individualists (outside of California and Colorado). This is sort of disappointing.

 

[2cool9031]

I could see the point of not letting people divert water from streams and lakes...but feel if it falls on you roof, it's your present from God.

 

[dross]

I live in Colorado, and I can explain at least the purpose of the law, if not it's application to small systems.

Let's say that I have a dry stream bed that runs through my property. It's dry most of the year, except when the snow melts, or we get a lot of rain. I could dam up that dry stream bed and hoard the rainwater I'm collecting, when it would naturally run off and water my neighbor's property as well as mine.

You have to understand how precious water is out here. In the last 150 years, there has been many a fatal conflict over the use of water.

As to applying the law to a small personal collection system, that's just an unintended consequence, I believe, at least as I understand Colorado law.

Stealing water out here is a very, very big deal.

 

[indykid]

Taxing rain, a gift from The Lord. Next thing you know these dolts will tax the air we breath. I can see it now, we will have to wear breath counters and pay taxes based on how many breaths we take!

 

[eldirector]

While I don't necessarily agree with this, I do understand. Water that would naturally be "run-off"from your roof would flow to your neighbor. If it is trapped, then your neighbor doesn't get "his gift from God".

Water IS currency out there.

 

[Archaic_Entity]

While I don't necessarily agree with this, I do understand. Water that would naturally be "run-off"from your roof would flow to your neighbor. If it is trapped, then your neighbor doesn't get "his gift from God".

Water IS currency out there.

If everyone collects their own roof water that wouldn't be a problem. And you can measure how much God loves you by how much your roof receives, not by how much your neighbor's roof receives. I feel that's a win all around.

 

[rich8483]

socialism in the little things. i want the rain off my neighbors roof!

 

[ATOMonkey]

Here's a novel idea.

DON'T LIVE IN THE DESERT!!!!

(channeling Sam Kinneson...)

 

[cburnworth]

BTW. they are talking about taxing your breathing(CO2 emissions)

 

[dieselman]

you can't own the water, it's gods water
-super troopers

 

[Lucas156]

Taxing rain, a gift from The Lord. Next thing you know these dolts will tax the air we breath. I can see it now, we will have to wear breath counters and pay taxes based on how many breaths we take!

No you will not have to wear a mask. You will be billed based on an average probably calculated by your body weight. Sounds funny now but if things continue the way they are I can almost guarantee it will become a reality.

 

[rich8483]

you can't own the water, it's gods water
-super troopers

very funny movie, have only seen a couple times b/c my wife doesnt like the language so i dont remember that line off the top of my head.

 

[M1 carbine dad]

People who tax rainwater: a bunch of mindless jerks who were the first against the wall when the revolution came.

<< channeling Hitch hikers guide to the Galaxy >>

 

[Randall Flagg]

Um, why live where it is hard to get the one thing you need most to live?

 

[M1 carbine dad]

But Randall, it's a dry heat

 

[Randall Flagg]

So is my oven, but yet i dont stick my head in it....lol.

Seriously though, i lived out west myself, and while some places are beautiful, i could never allow laws like this one to govern me.