Can You Legally Collect Rainwater In Iowa?

April has proven to be a stormy month in Iowa this year. We've seen a lot of rain, and it looks like we could be seeing more.

For years there's been this well-known myth that it is illegal to collect rainwater. In fact, I believed this for a long time myself before looking it up. While it should be noted some states are much more strict than others, not all states make it illegal to collect rainwater. Today we are going to see the state of Iowa's stance on the matter.

Collecting rainwater is nothing new. We as humans have been doing it for a very long time. Many refer to it as rainwater harvesting.

Is It Illegal To Collect Rainwater In Iowa

The regulations on rainwater collecting in Iowa are very simple. Most laws and regulations in Iowa are either pretty simple, or there just isn't any regulations. In this case, it's the latter.

At the time of writing this Iowa has no regulations or laws against rainwater harvesting. According to multiple sources including 4perfectwater.com, you're good to collect that rain.

Rainwater Harvesting

For many years rainwater has been used in many different ways, Iowastormwater.org went on to say,

Historically and in many developing countries still today, many homes use a cistern to capture rainfall for household purposes. Rain water harvesting, like the cistern, is the process of collecting rainwater and storing it for later use. Storage methods range from small barrels to large underground storage tanks. It is a valuable water management practice that is greatly underutilized.

If you are going to collect rain, rain barrels are a great option. They will typically capture 50 to 60 gallons.

A small 8′ x 10′ area of roof will generate 50 gallons of water during a 1 inch of rain.

With a great history and no regulations in Iowa, it looks like you're all set to start harvesting Iowa, but please keep in mind that there are safe ways to collect this rainwater. You can learn more here.