Collecting rainwater in Colorado

Rainwater collection is often a key part of permaculture design. Permaculture calls for redundancy in resources, and water is a key resource. This is especially true in the American West and in Colorado, where the average rainfall ranges from 70-80 inches a year in a few mountain hideaways to 5-10 inches a year in the San Luis Valley (here's a PDF map of Colorado precipitation).

Collecting rainfall can use earthworks, such as swales, cisterns or buckets. But until recently, it was illegal to collect it. "You can direct it, but not collect it, according to [Paul] Lander", the executive director of Colorado Waterwise.

But, thanks to Chris Romer and Marsha Looper in the Colorado Legislature, some residents can now collect water:

The bill's sponsors figure about 300,000 people statewide will now be permitted to harvest rainwater, mostly the in rural areas who already have exempt wells for household and domestic use.

There is now a second bill up for consideration that would expand rain collection to new developments in urban areas. That would allow for a pilot program and the bill will be heard on Friday.

Here's a PDF of the bill CONCERNING LIMITED EXEMPTIONS FOR WATER COLLECTED FROM CERTAIN RESIDENTIAL ROOFTOPS and here's a PDF of the proposed bill, CONCERNING AN AUTHORIZATION OF PILOT PROJECTS FOR THE BENEFICIAL USE OF CAPTURED PRECIPITATION IN NEW REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENTS, AND MAKING AN APPROPRIATION IN CONNECTION THEREWITH (as far as I could tell--navigating the legislature's website was a real nightmare).