Fpurl

This story reminds us of a line from The Beatles' "Taxman". The fact that it's illegal to collect too much rain that falls on your property because of state water laws seems just as ridiculous as the idea of the government taxing your feet to walk. But these are strange times, friends, because in Washington, the rain that falls is property of the state and up to them to regulate.

Despite this being state law, there seem to be no specifics as to the amount of water one has to collect to be in violation. While it is unlikely that you'd face consequences of your rain-stealing if you have a couple barrels in your backyard to collect rainwater...what about all the new green buildings that have gone around town recently? (With the blessing and encouragement of the state and local governments.) Are green garden roofs meant to collect water illegal? What about cisterns used to collect rainwater, which are used for sustainable toilets or water supplies for a garden? In a time of worldwide environmental crisis, shouldn't we be encouraging people to utilize resources like rain water, rather than penalizing them?