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Resident asks whether Vermont allows household rainwater collection; commissioners urge caution
Summary
A resident asked if Vermont law permits collecting rainwater for household use; commissioners said small-scale barrel collection for gardens is generally acceptable but larger storage for consumption may implicate state rules and requires further clarification.
A resident raised a public-comment question about household rainwater collection after a heavy rain, asking whether Vermont law allows collecting rainwater for reuse and whether larger tanks are regulated.
Commission members responded that small-scale collection in 50- to 55-gallon drums for watering gardens is typically used locally and unlikely to trigger state involvement. "As long as you kept it small, like the 50-gallon drums," a member said, "it seemed fine," while noting that storage at the scale of 1,000-gallon tanks intended for consumption could prompt review by state authorities.
The commission did not provide a definitive legal ruling and suggested the resident seek specific guidance from state agencies before using large tanks for drinking water or large-scale household consumption.
