Des Moines has no local ordinance restricting rainwater harvesting. Iowa state law imposes no limitations on rainwater collection, making rain barrels and cisterns fully legal throughout the city. The city's stormwater program even promotes rainwater harvesting as a best management practice.
Neither the Des Moines Municipal Code nor Iowa state law (Iowa Code Chapter 455B) imposes any restriction on residential or commercial rainwater harvesting. Iowa is among the states with zero regulatory barriers to collecting rainwater from rooftops. No permit is required in Des Moines for standard residential rain barrels connected to a downspout or for small cisterns. The Iowa Stormwater Education Partnership and the City of Des Moines Public Works Department actively encourage rain barrels as stormwater best management practices (BMPs) to reduce runoff and improve water quality. The only indirect restrictions are through Chapter 42 of the Des Moines Code, which prohibits standing water that creates mosquito breeding or other nuisance conditions (§ 42-348).
No penalty for rainwater harvesting. Improperly maintained water storage creating mosquito breeding or other nuisance conditions could be cited under Ch. 42, § 42-348 with civil fines.
Des Moines, IA
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See how Des Moines's rainwater harvesting rules stack up against other locations.
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