This time last year, I wrote about Senator Scott Jenkins’ (R – Plain City – District 20) SB 32 – Rainwater Harvesting. Sadly, the bill did not pass, mostly because it was low on totem-pole of bills the House and Senate had to vote on, and so died in the House before it could be passed into law.
Well, it is back, and this time it is an even stronger bill than before. To recap from last year, the bill would allow the collection and storage of rainwater either above or below ground without having to receive a water rights permit. This bill has been modified from last year to allow the storage only up to 2,500 gallons in underground containers or above ground in 55 gallon containers above ground (addressing the concerns of agriculture).
As I said last year, this bill is beneficial to urban areas where rain and snow would normally just flow down the drain and be wasted. By capturing it and using it on, say, cooling systems, rooftop gardens, and irrigation, the water would not need to come from reservoirs miles away from the source – saving both energy and reserves by not having to pump as much during dry times.
Finally, I hope this bill will pass as it did get the recommendation of the State Water Development Commission – showing that this is a practical solution to Utah’s water needs.
