Collecting rain water? Shame, shame!

[Decker]

Oregon Man Sentenced to 30 Days in Jail -- for Collecting Rainwater on His Property | CNSNews.com

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[PhysicsGuy]

It really is not all that hard to get water permits for storing water like this. It sounds like he just pissed off the wrong people and has issues with taking the correct path to gaining permits.

 

[PhantomWorks]

This is typical political BS! If I own land and I want to collect the rain that falls on it, I or anybody else should NOT have to get any form of permits or pay anybody anything in any form.
Should the government tax the sun too?
Cuz' that might provide people with free heat and if you got solar panels, hollybubblegumofmarry, that would be stealing power!
Better sue Germany then for robbing the American sun...

 

[Spray-n-pray]

Permits? To collect rainwater on your own property? What the F makes the .gov think they have the lockdown on water falling from the sky? That is a prime example of runaway government meddling in the affairs of the citizenry. As a matter of fact, if they think they somehow own it, i think i should file suit for the 180 days a year that i am relentlessly assaulted by it. Take your permits and shove 'em where the sun don't shine.


And by that, I mean Seattle.

 

[JSJPDX]

Sounds to me like there is a lot more to this story than what is being reported. This guy is claiming he is just collecting rain water and snow run off, the state is claiming he is diverting a publically owned river/creek to fill up his storage ponds. He even admitted to diversion (theft) of the river/creek in a pervious encounter over the same issue. So is it government interference in a private land owners affairs or is it theft of public water by the landowner?

 

[Vantage]

Sounds to me like there is a lot more to this story than what is being reported. This guy is claiming he is just collecting rain water and snow run off, the state is claiming he is diverting a publically owned river/creek to fill up his storage ponds. He even admitted to diversion (theft) of the river/creek in a pervious encounter over the same issue. So is it government interference in a private land owners affairs or is it theft of public water by the landowner?

+1

Not only is collecting rain water legal, it's encouraged.

Building Code Division: Smart Guide to Rain Water Harvesting

 

[jimwsea]

The article says he dammed up a creek and had three reservoirs, so it was not a simple act of collecting rainwater as it falls. Another article I read on this said he constructed a dam that was 15 feet high. What if that dam ever fails? Is this an engineering issue?

 

[Decker]

Ah, okay. So, if they guy's trying to recreated the hoover dam perhaps. But if Mr. Mitty is out there collecting water falling from the sky and he's getting krap for doing it... well that's just messed up.

 

[Sawdust]

Last time I looked into this if you collect the water before it hits the ground ie; downspouts to pipe to a lined pond it is yours. But once the water hits the dirt it is public/gov owned. That is the basics.

 

[MarkAd]

when the water runs out of my property then they can have it.

 

[PhysicsGuy]

I think a few people are missing the point as to what he did illegal. There is nothing illegal about capturing rainwater for domestic use. What he did was create reservoirs.

 

[Burt Gummer]

That is not entirely true and government is working toward making it illegal in many areas.

"Today, we've basically been reprogrammed to think that we need permission from the government to exercise our inalienable rights, when in fact the government is supposed to derive its power from us. The American Republic was designed so that government would serve the People to protect and uphold freedom and liberty. But increasingly, our own government is restricting people from their rights to engage in commonsense, fundamental actions such as collecting rainwater or buying raw milk from the farmer next door.

Today, we are living under a government that has slowly siphoned off our freedoms, only to occasionally grant us back a few limited ones under the pretense that they're doing us a benevolent favor."


Collecting rainwater now illegal in many states as Big Government claims ownership over our water

 

[Sling Blade]

I think a few people are missing the point as to what he did illegal. There is nothing illegal about capturing rainwater for domestic use. What he did was create reservoirs.

That's crazy talk. How are people supposed to get up in arms and all indignant-like at a factual statement like that?

 

[Jamie6.5]

I think a few people are missing the point as to what he did illegal. There is nothing illegal about capturing rainwater for domestic use. What he did was create reservoirs.

That's crazy talk. How are people supposed to get up in arms and all indignant-like at a factual statement like that?

Factual? Nope.
How about contradictory?

res·er·voir
   [rez-er-vwahr, -vwawr, -vawr, rez-uh-]
noun
1.
a natural or artificial place where water is collected and stored for use, especially water for supplying a community, irrigating land, furnishing power, etc.
2.
a receptacle or chamber for holding a liquid or fluid.

By definition, storing water is "creating a reservoir."

Where he went wrong, was creating them without facilitating flow, and doing it in an area deemed a watershed for a municipality. If he'd have stayed with the original pond he'd have likely been grandfathered.

 

[jbett98]

The elderly neighbor across the street from me, couldn't afford to water his garden last year with the exorbitant water fees our little town charges.
I helped him dig a shallow well in his backyard, about five feet deep (we have a very high water table), dropped in a sump pump and he would fill a 50 gallon barrel just to irrigate his garden.
A city maintenance worker mowing the back alley spied it and turned him in. He received a cease & desist letter from the city attorney.
Turns out we don't own the water or mineral rights in this town.