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Rainwater Collection as a Sound Investment

Water, despite its critical importance to life, has traditionally been inexpensive in Washington State and throughout the United States.  The payback period (how long a project takes to pay for itself) for rainwater collection systems geared toward potable or just non-potable uses, such as toilet flushing and irrigation is currently long, on the order of twenty plus years. That is because the price a utility charges for water is typically less than half a cent per gallon.  For some Washingtonians, like folks in the San Juan Islands, the payback period is irrelevant because there is often no new water available – rainwater is the only option.  For other Washingtonians, like some Seattleites who have already invested in large catchment systems, it’s not just about making a sound investment, it’s about doing good for the environment – investing in the Sound.

Anyone who pays a drainage fee or a stormwater fee knows the cost of treating stormwater is expensive and going up. RCW 35.92.020 (3) and RCW 36.89.080 (2) denote that the rate a city, town or county may charge for the treatment of stormwater shall be reduced by a minimum of ten percent for any new or remodeled commercial building that utilizes a rainwater harvesting system.  The statute further directs jurisdictions to consider rate reductions in excess of ten percent dependent upon the amount of rainwater actually harvested.  Coupled with a reduced water bill that, like a stormwater fee, is trending up, the payback period for urban rainwater collection projects for non-potable use could soon approach ten years.  That’s a good thing – not just for Washingtonians who will save money in the long run, but for Puget Sound and every other aquatic resource that knows the fate of stormwater runoff all too well.

Contact

Kurt Unger
Department of Ecology WR-HQ
Phone: 360-407-7262
E-mail: kung461@ecy.wa.gov