Water is a precious resource, so it is important to conserve it and use it correctly. People have been capturing and reusing rain since time immemorial, but today in some places collecting rainwater generally is a legal gray area and even completely illegal!
If you reside in New Jersey, it’s possible you’ll be wondering if rainwater harvesting is legal. New Jersey is disgracefully interfering with many other points of its residents’ lives, so why not on this case? Is rainwater harvesting illegal in New Jersey?
It’s not NO rainwater harvesting in New Jersey is prohibited. In fact, it’s hardly mentioned in any of the state statutes. However, New Jersey residents still have to learn and abide by local laws and codes.
I’m pleasantly surprised by this; this is unquestionably the other of “type” for NJ. But even so, that does not imply residents can do whatever they need in terms of catching rain in The Garden State.
Later in this text, I’ll walk you thru New Jersey’s rainwater harvesting laws and considerations so you’ll be able to higher understand your rights in addition to your responsibilities.
Is rainwater harvesting illegal on the state level in New Jersey?
NO. Rainwater harvesting on the state level in New Jersey just isn’t illegal. In fact, the state encourages its residents to practice rainwater harvesting since it is a sustainable strategy to protect water resources and stop erosion brought on by rainwater and other similar issues.
However, take into accout that while there are not any explicit laws prohibiting this practice, rainwater harvesting must still comply with all other relevant state laws and codes.
Is rainwater harvesting illegal on the county level?
No, generally. But it will depend on the county: While rainwater harvesting is legal in New Jersey, some counties and municipalities can have individual guidelines for collecting rainwater and installing systems, and even what will be done with the water.
Therefore, residents should contact their local authorities to seek out out about any potential restrictions or regulations of their area.
Some counties may require residents to acquire a permit to put in a rainwater harvesting system on their property depending on zoning.
Other counties can have restrictions on the scale of a rain barrel or other container, or require compliance with connection regulations and other installation considerations.
Under what conditions can New Jersey residents collect rainwater?
In general, New Jersey residents can collect rainwater on their property so long as they follow local government guidelines. In short, if it rains, you’ll be able to collect!
That said, your collection and subsequent use of water must not violate another laws or codes on the state or county level, and more specifically, must not violate other residents’ water rights.
It’s not an event that may occur to most individuals collecting rain, but when indirectly your collection interfered with another person’s lawful water claim, they might have grounds to sue you or get the authorities to detain you.
This could also be possible if, for instance, your collection is depriving groundwater sources above or below ground of precipitation that should recharge.
Is there a limit to the quantity of rainwater that will be collected in New Jersey?
No, at the very least not on the state level. Once again, individual cities can have their very own regulations on this matter.
Please also note that it is feasible that state or local authorities may impose temporary restrictions and even stop rainwater harvesting altogether resulting from an emergency.
An increased risk of forest fires or ongoing forest fires in a given area, prolonged drought and other aspects may cause authorities to attempt to be sure that all rainwater is used to handle the issue.
To be clear, this just isn’t a right per se, but it surely is throughout the legal authority and authority of officials to issue such edicts.
What does New Jersey allow residents to make use of rainwater for?
Technically, New Jersey law allows residents to make use of rainwater for any lawful purpose.
It actually entails non-potable purposes similar to irrigating crops, watering gardens, washing vehicles, flushing fixtures, and so forth.
Technically, this may perhaps allow residents to make use of rainwater as drinking water, for drinking and washing.
But, and the chances are good, the chances are essentially 100% that using rainwater as drinking water will probably be against state and native health regulations.
I do know this looks like a terrible insult at first, but hear me out, because there’s an excellent reason for this: your rainwater is not even anywhere near as clean as you’re thinking that, at the very least not unless you’ve got caught it directly in a very clean container.
Any rainwater that comes into contact with another surface, including the roof or another catchment system, before being collected will probably be filled with contaminants that may include germs, actually dust and dirt, but additionally insects, insect carcasses, bird poop, and more.
Any of this stuff can dangerously contaminate the water.
As such, New Jersey health regulations may prevent or permit the usage of rainwater as drinking water altogether until it’s satisfactorily filtered and disinfected.
Does New Jersey require special equipment or inspections for rainwater harvesting?
NO. New Jersey has no specific installation or inspection requirements, but I bet most counties and cities do, especially in suburban and concrete areas.
Some locations may require residents to buy specific kinds of rainwater tanks or systems that meet certain guidelines, while others may require the system to be inspected for compliance prior to make use of.
Before installing a rainwater harvesting system, I encourage you to envision together with your local authorities to find out the required equipment or inspections to be sure that the system complies with all regulations.
Does New Jersey offer rainwater harvesting incentives?
Nothing I discovered that is not on the state level. But the excellent news is that some counties or municipalities are prone to offer residents their very own programs or incentives to establish a rainwater harvesting system.
Examples of incentives some counties may offer include property tax credits or rebates, reduced fees for the acquisition of a rain barrel or other components, or grant programs based on local conservation efforts.
The best strategy to track down local incentives is to easily hop on the county website and search through the relevant department directories.
Bottom line: Is New Jersey an excellent state for rainwater harvesting?
In general, yes! And I’m pleasantly surprised. I definitely expected New Jersey to remain true to forming and regulating the ever-living rain collection. But in terms of the state, it is not an issue…
This lack of interference is great, the one thing that hurts is the shortage of economic incentives to gather rainwater.
The only sticking point is that your local government will almost actually provide some hoops so that you can jump through.
And the even higher news, practically speaking, is that NJ gets an entire lot of rain every yr, averaging 48 inches or more!
You won’t have any trouble staying afloat in The Garden State so long as you’ve got enough storage capability.
