Rainwater harvesting is good for your wallet and the environment! Efficient use of water is critical in Texas because of its growing population and limited water supply. Even if you live in an area with minimal rainfall, you can still conserve precious water, save money, and prevent flooding and erosion.
Source: https://takecareoftexas.org/
Texas has several laws that support rainwater harvesting.
- Texas Property Code prevents a homeowner’s association from prohibiting the use of rainwater harvesting systems (Texas Property Code §202.007). (This law also promotes composting, efficient irrigation, and drought-resistant landscaping.)
- The state also requires certain new state facilities to incorporate rainwater harvesting systems in their design (Texas Government Code §447.004(c)(8)).
- Municipalities and counties are also encouraged to promote rainwater harvesting at residential, commercial, industrial, and educational facilities through incentives such as discounts for rain barrels or rebates for water storage facilities. (Texas Local Government Code §580.004).
- Many water-efficient products can be purchased tax-free during a specific weekend (usually around Memorial Day in late May) each year, including rainwater harvesting equipment. Check the State Comptroller’s webpage on this program for future tax holidays.
- Additionally, a municipality or county cannot deny a building permit solely because the facility will implement rainwater harvesting. However, it may require that the system comply with the minimum state standards established for such systems (Texas Local Government Code §580.004).
The Texas Water Development board has this helpful one-pager on rainwater harvesting as well!