Montgomery County has no ordinance restricting rainwater collection, and Pennsylvania does not limit rain barrels. Capturing rain for outdoor irrigation is allowed. Plumbed cistern or greywater systems must follow the Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code and any municipal plumbing/stormwater permit requirements.
Pennsylvania places no statewide restriction on residential rainwater harvesting, and Montgomery County has no county rule against it, so rain barrels for garden and lawn irrigation are permitted. Many Montgomery County municipalities actively encourage rain barrels and rain gardens as stormwater best-management practices under their MS4 (municipal stormwater) programs and the county's watershed initiatives. Simple, non-plumbed rain barrels generally need no permit. Larger cisterns, or systems plumbed into a home, must comply with the Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code (34 Pa. Code Ch. 401) and typically require a municipal plumbing permit and backflow protection to prevent cross-connection with drinking water. Check with your borough or township building/code office before installing a plumbed or below-ground system.
No county penalty for rain barrels. Installing a plumbed rainwater or cistern system without the required municipal permit, or creating a cross-connection with potable water, can trigger local building-code enforcement under the PA Uniform Construction Code.
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See how Montgomery County's rainwater harvesting rules stack up against other locations.
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