Kentucky law permits residential rainwater collection without state permits, with plumbing code compliance required only when systems connect to potable supply.
Kentucky imposes no statewide restriction on residential rainwater harvesting. Property owners may collect rooftop runoff for non-potable uses such as irrigation, gardening, livestock, and outdoor cleaning without state permits or registration. Kentucky water rights doctrine treats diffused surface water captured before it reaches a watercourse as the property of the landowner. The Kentucky State Plumbing Code adopted under KRS 318.130 governs cross-connection control when harvested water connects to plumbing serving potable fixtures. Larger commercial systems may require Division of Water consultation. The Energy and Environment Cabinet promotes rainwater capture as a water conservation measure.
Residential rain barrels require no state permit and trigger no penalty; cross-connection violations to potable plumbing may result in plumbing code citations.
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See how Burlington's rainwater harvesting rules stack up against other locations.
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