Can You Legally Collect Rainwater In Iowa?

Social media is great, but sometimes random ideas go viral. There has always been this idea online that it is illegal to collect and harvest rainwater. Popular TikTok channels about collecting rain will be flooded with comments claiming it is illegal but is there any truth to these statements?

Collecting rainwater is nothing new. We as humans have been doing it for a very long time. Many refer to it as rainwater harvesting.

Collecting Rainwater In Iowa

The regulations on rainwater collecting in Iowa are very simple. Most laws and regulations in Iowa are either pretty simple, or there just isn't any regulations. 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.

Rainwater Harvesting

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.

If you are going to collect rain, rain barrels are a great option. They will typically capture 50 to 60 gallons.

A small 8′ x 10′ area of roof will generate 50 gallons of water during a 1 inch of 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.