Pennsylvania places no restriction on collecting rainwater, and York County does not ban it. Rain barrels and cisterns for garden use are legal statewide; larger or plumbed systems must meet the building and plumbing code enforced by your municipality.
Pennsylvania has no law limiting a landowner's right to capture rainwater, and York County imposes no ban, so residents may install rain barrels and cisterns freely. Simple outdoor rain barrels used for lawn and garden irrigation generally need no permit. Larger cisterns or any system plumbed into the house for non-potable indoor use must comply with the Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code (34 Pa Code Ch. 401–405), which adopts the ICC codes and is enforced through your municipality's building department. Rainwater capture is actively encouraged as a stormwater best-management practice: the York County Conservation District and county stormwater programs promote rain barrels and rain gardens to reduce runoff under 25 Pa Code Chapter 102 erosion-control goals. Some municipalities offer rain-barrel workshops
There is no county penalty for harvesting rainwater. Installing a large cistern or an indoor-plumbed system without the required Uniform Construction Code permit from your municipality can trigger a stop-work order and correction notice from the local building code official.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
York County, PA
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York County, PA
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York County, PA
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York County, PA
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York County, PA
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York County, PA
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See how York County's rainwater harvesting rules stack up against other locations.
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