What You Need To Know About Legally Collecting Rainwater In Iowa

Safety should always come first! While social media is a fun way to share ideas, not everything that goes viral is true. One common myth circulating online is that collecting and harvesting rainwater is illegal. Some TikTok channels dedicated to rainwater collection often receive numerous comments claiming it's against the law—but is there any truth to these claims?

Just last week, Des Moines Register reports that in central Iowa, Central Iowa Water Works asked people in the Des Moines-area to cut back on lawn watering by 50%. This leads to more people looking for new ways to collect rain water.

Read More: For The First Time, Iowans May Be Put On A Lawn-Watering Ban This Summer

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.

Is Collecting Rainwater Legal in Iowa? 

The regulations on rainwater collection in Iowa are straightforward. Most laws in the state are either quite simple or nonexistent, and 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.

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. Stay safe Iowa, and have fun with your new hobbie.