Rainwater harvesting is legal statewide. ORS 537.141 exempts collecting precipitation from an artificial impervious surface, like a rooftop, from Oregon's water-right permit system. A plumbing or building permit may still apply depending on how the system is plumbed and used.
Oregon law expressly allows rooftop rainwater collection. ORS 537.141(1) lists uses of water that do not require a water-right application, permit or certificate, including "the collection and use of rainwater from an artificial impervious surface" such as a rooftop. Lane County adds no separate prohibition. What can still require a permit is the plumbing side: if a system routes water into a building or is used for potable purposes, plumbing or building permits and code compliance apply. Exterior-only, non-potable irrigation systems generally do not need a plumbing permit. Rooftop capture is the operative limit — the water must be caught before it touches the ground.
No county penalty for legal rooftop harvesting. Installing an in-building or potable system without required plumbing/building permits can result in building-code enforcement.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
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Like political signs, garage-sale signs may not be placed in Lane County road right-of-way and cannot obscure traffic-control devices (Lane Code 15.205(2)). ...
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Political signs may not be placed in Lane County road right-of-way, and none may block a traffic-control device. On state highways, ODOT limits new temporary...
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A tiny house on a permanent foundation is treated as a dwelling or ADU under Lane Code 16.290 and must meet building code plus the 900 sq ft ADU cap. In the ...
See how Lane County's rainwater harvesting rules stack up against other locations.
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