Rooftop rainwater harvesting is legal in Oregon and does not need a water right. Clackamas County adds no ban. Collecting rain from an artificial impervious surface (a roof) for non-potable use is allowed; indoor plumbing hookups require a plumbing permit.
Oregon law (House Bill 2080, 2009) permits rooftop rainwater harvesting for personal, non-potable use, and the state encourages it. The water must be precipitation collected from an artificial impervious surface—your roof—before it touches the ground; you cannot capture from rivers, streams, or groundwater without a water right. Systems must include a debris excluder to keep leaves and sediment out of storage tanks. If the system connects to indoor plumbing (toilets, laundry) a plumbing permit is required, with backflow prevention. Simple rain barrels feeding a garden need no permit. Clackamas County follows this statewide framework and does not prohibit residential rain collection.
No penalty for compliant rooftop collection. Indoor-connected systems without the required plumbing permit and backflow protection can face building-code enforcement.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
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Clackamas County parks close at night: entrance gates are locked from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m., quiet hours run 10 p.m. to 7 a.m., and no one under 18 may camp over...
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Clackamas County's ZDO addresses light trespass through Subsection 1005.04, which requires outdoor lighting to be shielded and directed so light stays within...
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Clackamas County has no formal 'dark-sky' overlay, but ZDO Subsection 1005.04 requires outdoor lighting not to direct light skyward: fixtures must shield and...
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In unincorporated Clackamas County, garage-sale signs are temporary signs under ZDO Section 1010. A sign 3 square feet or less needs no permit, temporary sig...
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Clackamas County confirms 'the size and placement of political signs are not regulated by election law.' In the unincorporated county, campaign signs follow ...
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A tiny home on a foundation is treated as a dwelling or ADU under Clackamas County's ZDO (Section 839 for ADUs). A tiny house on wheels is an RV and cannot b...
See how Clackamas County's rainwater harvesting rules stack up against other locations.
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