Water is considered one of the most dear resources now we have, and it’s doubly priceless in any situation where our usual water supply is cut off or contaminated.
One of the perfect things you possibly can do to make sure you usually have access to water, irrespective of what, is to put in a rain catcher system in your property.
People have been doing it for 1000’s of years, but some states actually strictly regulate the practice.
Or possibly Arkansas? Is rainwater harvesting illegal in Arkansas?
It doesn’t isn’t rainwater harvesting is against the law in Arkansas, however the practice is strictly controlled and controlled. The State Board of Health mandates that harvested rainwater be used for non-potable purposes only, and all systems must comply with the Arkansas Plumbing Code.
This is something of a serious disappointment if you happen to live in Arkansas. Compared to each other state within the south, Arkansas has significantly more regulation and oversight over the design, installation, and use of rainwater harvesting systems.
But it’s something you will have to cope with if you would like to start your personal within the state. Read on and I’ll let you know all the pieces you must know.
Is rainwater harvesting illegal on the state level in Arkansas?
No, rainwater harvesting isn’t illegal on the state level in Arkansas, but is strictly controlled by the State Board of Health. See 17-38-201.
The Health Council has been authorized by the legislature to set standards for residents’ use of rainwater harvesting systems.
In short, any rainwater harvesting system within the state must comply with the ordinances of the National Board of Health.
This implies that they have to all be designed by skilled engineers and fully comply with established regulations and the Arkansas Plumbing Code.
Is rainwater harvesting illegal on the county level?
No, so far as I do know, there isn’t a county in Arkansas where harvesting rainwater is totally illegal.
Given this, individual counties and city governments can enact even stricter laws and regulations regarding using rainwater harvesting systems.
Compliance with state water regulations is bad enough, but now you must double check and be sure that your local authority doesn’t make the method even tougher.
I’d expect licensing procedures and inspections to come back naturally, especially in additional populated areas.
Under what conditions can residents collect rainwater in Arkansas?
Arkansas residents can harvest as much water as they need with their systems when it rains, and there isn’t a state statute specifying times or seasons when rainwater harvesting is unavailable or restricted.
But having said that, it isn’t out of the query that local or state governments may introduce restrictions or a whole halt to the practice depending on emergencies.
Particularly within the event of drought, depletion of groundwater or groundwater, forest fires or risk of forest fires and similar situations, detention may occur.
It’s not written into state statutes per se, however it’s something you must be careful for.
Is there a limit to the quantity of rainwater that may be collected in Arkansas?
NO. There isn’t any limit to the quantity of water you possibly can collect over a certain time frame, or the quantity of water you possibly can have readily available at a time. At least not on the state level!
It is entirely possible that local regulations could also be more stringent.
This can occur if you happen to live in an urban or suburban area or any neighborhood with an HOA, there could also be limits to the dimensions or total variety of tanks you possibly can hook up with your system.
What does Arkansas allow residents to make use of rainwater for?
Arkansas law allows residents to make use of harvested rainwater for non-potable purposes only, period.
There isn’t any provision in law that permits the filtering and disinfection of collected rainwater with a purpose to make it drinkable. Non-potable purposes include things like watering the garden, irrigating crops, washing vehicles, and so forth.
Non-potable uses also include flushing indoor or outdoor toilet facilities. For drinking purposes, they’re used for drinking, bathing, brushing teeth and so forth.
This does not imply you possibly can’t drink rainwater in an absolute emergency, but you do must know that it’s against the law and will lead to fines and even criminal charges.
Speaking purely on practical matters, you might not know that collected rainwater isn’t as clean and fresh as you would possibly think…
Read that rainwater that comes in touch with any collecting surface, whether as a roof or a stand-alone catchment panel, will collect tons of dust, dirt, dead insects, animal feces, and lots of other things you don’t need to drink.
And that is why Arkansas declares rainwater undrinkable as a matter in fact. Strictly the sensible problem, it’s needed to filter and disinfect rainwater before drinking it, even in emergencies.
Does Arkansas require special equipment or rainwater harvesting controls?
Yes. Is every element of the rainwater harvesting system, from the kind of tanks to the connections that may be made to other existing water and sewerage systems, defined and required by law and Arkansas Plumbing Codeenforced by the National Board of Health.
This is bad news for anyone who desires to improvise their very own system for very specific purposes.
Due to those guidelines, it is sort of certain that you’re going to must cope with bureaucracy on the local level in terms of obtaining permits and final approval of your rainwater harvesting system.
Does Arkansas offer incentives to reap rainwater?
No, not on the state level. Arkansas generally encourages residents to conserve water as much as they’ll, including rainwater harvesting, but they do not even have the standard courtesy to provide you a tax discount after making you comply with all these bureaucratic rules.
However, it might be possible to search out tax credits, equipment rebates, and other financial advantages on the county or city level, and it might be price taking the time to ask your water company if you may have one.
Several water corporations in other parts of the country are known to provide discounts in your monthly water bill if you happen to use harvested rainwater for non-potable purposes. There shall be a minimum of a couple of in Arkansas who will do the identical!
Bottom line: Is Arkansas a superb state for rainwater harvesting?
Arkansas is just what I’d call a superb to average rainwater harvesting state, especially due to all of the state level oversight.
In addition to prescribing what type of system may be installed, every aspect of it, in addition they place oversight of rainwater collection and use within the hands of the Board of Health.
This implies that using rainwater for any drinking purposes is totally excluded from a legal perspective.
But assuming you possibly can navigate the maze of regulations and bureaucracy, the excellent news is that Arkansas gets a whole lot of rain every yr, and installing your system will greater than pay for itself in time.
That being said, the state won’t enable you to pay for it since it doesn’t offer residents any incentives to gather rain. You can do rather a lot worse than Arkansas, but you can even do rather a lot higher.
