Collecting Rainwater At Home In Illinois: Legal Or Illegal?

Maybe the only time you've ever collected rainwater at home was when your roof was leaking and you put a bucket underneath it in the family room.

I've done that. Unfortunately, I speak from experience.

But some people collect rainwater on purpose, using rain barrels attached to their gutters, and use it to water flowers, gardens, and lawns. So naturally, we have to ask:

Is that actually legal in Illinois?

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Have You Heard The Term "Green Infrastructure?"

Illinois specifically recognizes rainwater harvesting as a form of “green infrastructure,” including collecting rainwater for non-potable (not for drinking or cooking) uses such as landscape irrigation and toilet flushing. The Illinois EPA even promotes rain barrels as a way to capture roof runoff and reuse it for lawns, flower beds, gardens and car washing.

So if you've got a rain barrel under your downspout in Illinois, you're not running an illegal underground water operation.

There are, however, some restrictions once you move beyond the basic rain barrel.

Illinois has plumbing rules governing more substantial rainwater-harvesting systems. The state's plumbing code addresses systems used for things such as irrigation and other non-potable applications, and larger or more complicated systems can require additional review and compliance.

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As For Rockford Itself...

If you're in Rockford, the city follows the Illinois plumbing code along with local amendments. Rockford also has its own stormwater regulations, including requirements concerning where water can be discharged and how stormwater is managed.

But the important takeaway for the average homeowner is pretty simple:

Collecting rainwater in a barrel and using it to water your plants? It's legal.

Building a giant cistern and plumbing it into your house as a second drinking-water system? That's a completely different animal.

And no, you aren't going to be arrested for catching a little rainwater. You may have trouble is some places, like this guy did before the judge ruled in his favor: