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Department of Ecology News Release - July 10, 2008
08-191
OLYMPIA – The Department of Ecology (Ecology) is seeking the public’s help in drafting regulations on the collection and use of rainwater in Washington state.
The fourth in a series of workshops being held around the state is scheduled Wednesday, July 16, 2008, in Aberdeen. The public will have an opportunity to learn about rainwater collection and to discuss a new statewide rule.
The open house will begin at 6 p.m. at Aberdeen High School, The Commons, 410 North G. Street in Aberdeen.
Ecology doesn’t require homeowners to obtain water right permits to collect and store small amounts of rainwater. The new rule would, for the first time, define how much rainwater can be collected and used before a permit is required.
Under state law, rainwater is considered a water resource of the state. To use the waters of the state, an individual or group is required to get permission from Ecology in the form of a water right permit. Ecology is seeking public comment on what the threshold should be for requiring a water right permit for those systems that could affect the water supply of senior water right holders or stream flows in some river basins.
The impact of rainwater collection systems depends on their size, location, the number of systems in a particular area, and the amount of water already appropriated in a basin. Residential rainwater collection systems range from a 50-gallon rain barrel to cisterns of 30,000 gallons or more. Commercial systems can be larger.
“A statewide rule would remove ambiguity about rainwater collection from existing water law,” said Brian Walsh, Ecology’s policy and planning manager for water resources. “We want to ensure that collection and storage of rainwater happens in a way that is consistent with protecting stream flows and water rights.”
Non-potable uses of rainwater typically include toilet flushing and irrigation for gardens. In water-short areas like the San Juan Islands, rainwater may be the sole source of water for some homeowners. Ecology is especially interested in encouraging rainwater collection in urban areas like Puget Sound where it can be used to reduce stormwater runoff and supplement municipal water supplies.
The new rule won’t affect the regional rainwater permit recently obtained by the City of Seattle, or future island-wide permits in San Juan County.
Read more about rainwater collection at Ecology’s rainwater website: http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wr/hq/rwh.html
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Media Contacts:
Dan Partridge, 360-407-7139,
dpar461@ecy.wa.gov
Brian Walsh, Water Resources policy & planning manager, 360-407-7262,
bwal461@ecy.wa.gov
For more sources on rainwater collection: http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wr/hq/rwh_info.html
Copyright © Washington State Department of Ecology. See http://www.ecy.wa.gov/copyright.html.
