Washington law expressly permits rooftop rainwater collection for onsite use without a water right permit, preempting any municipal prohibition on basic harvesting.
Under RCW 90.03.260 and Department of Ecology Policy 1017, rooftop rainwater harvesting from existing structures for onsite beneficial use is allowed statewide without applying for a water right. The 2009 policy clarifies that catchment from impervious surfaces such as roofs is exempt from water-right permitting. Cities cannot prohibit residential rooftop collection, although they may impose reasonable plumbing, cross-connection, and building code requirements consistent with the Uniform Plumbing Code adopted under RCW 19.27.031.
Improper plumbing connections may trigger building code enforcement, but no permit is required for typical residential rooftop systems.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Vancouver, WA
Vancouver prohibits leaving any vehicle parked on a public street for more than 24 consecutive hours. Officers attach a notification sticker; if the vehicle ...
Vancouver, WA
Vancouver's Municipal Code Chapter 20.912 governs all fences, walls, and retaining walls citywide. Residential fences have tiered height limits by yard locat...
Vancouver, WA
Vancouver has no dedicated local ordinance banning wildlife feeding. Washington state law prohibits feeding large wild carnivores and, since May 2025, feedin...
Vancouver, WA
Vancouver allows hens, ducks, geese, rabbits, and similar domestic animals in all zoning districts for hobby use with no minimum lot size. Roosters, turkeys,...
Vancouver, WA
Vancouver allows residential lawn ornaments and yard art without permits provided they do not exceed the 8-foot residential accessory-structure height standa...
Vancouver, WA
Vancouver does not regulate residential inflatable holiday decorations by size, type, or theme. Continuously running blower motors are subject to VMC 7.05.01...
See how Vancouver's rainwater harvesting rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.