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<br />million people in the U.S. and its Territories use some type of rainwater collection <br />system for indoor and/or outdoor purposesl. Neighboring states including <br />Arizona, Texas, and New Mexico all allow - and even encourage through <br />financial incentives - rainwater collection and use2. Santa Fe County, New <br />Mexico requires rainwater collection and use for all new commercial <br />developments, and residential structures exceeding a 2,500 square feet footprine. <br />Several other western states also allow rainwater collection and use4. <br /> <br />Rainwater conservation may also provide a unique opportunity for water users <br />who rely on groundwater. Past practices such as cyclical pumping are being <br />reevaluated and revised to protect the aquifer while still providing adequate water. <br />Continuous pumping at lower flow rates requires installing storage tanks. <br />Rainwater conservation practices could utilize this common infrastructure and <br />supplement a rapidly dwindling resource. <br /> <br />The practice of rainwater conservation do~s present some potential challenges, <br />including: <br /> <br />. Variable rainfall- annual precipitation in Colorado varies both by locale <br />and year. Absolute reliance on precipitation as a water source could lead <br />to shortfalls. . <br />I <br />. Cost - a well engineered rainwater .collection system may entail greater <br />costs for a property owner than ~imply using potable water with a <br />conventional sprinkler system; operations and maintenance costs may be <br />higher as well. ' <br />. Water quality - rainwater water quality is typically high. However, the <br />quality of collected and stored raimyater may be subject to degradation. <br />While not intended for human consumption, the public health issues <br />associated with rainwater collectibn and use must be considered. <br />I <br />Rainwater collection and storage systems must be designed and operated <br />to minimize water quality deterio~ation and the possibility of insect <br />infestation. ' <br /> <br />In some instances such as Douglas County, the cuo/ent situation is not a matter of how <br />much a given quantity of source water will cost, but its absolute availability. Surface <br />water obtained from historical sources (e.g., consu;mptive use credits from agricultural <br />water rights changed to domestic and other us~s) to support continued growth in <br />Colorado is simply unavailable in sufficient quantitX, quality, or reliability. Groundwater <br />resources are similarly stressed with rapid depletion of regional aquifers. New and <br />innovative water resources must be tapped to mJet growing demand, and rainwater <br />, <br /> <br />I <br />" <br />I Krishna H, An Overview of Rainwater Harvesting Systems and Guidelines in the United States, <br />Proceedings of the First Annual Rainwater Harvesting Confere~ce, 2003. <br />2 Hall P, Municipal Uses of Storm water Runoff, Stormwater p.74, May/June 2005 <br />3 Santa Fe County Ordinance No. 2003-6, http://www.co.santa-: <br />fe.nm.us/de artmentslland use/water harvestin /docs/Water Harvestin %20Ordinance. df <br />4 California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Oregon (roof runoff onlY', and Washington <br /> <br />3 <br />