Rainwater harvesting is a simple, eco-friendly technique that many homeowners are using to gather rainwater and use it for simple purposes. It's a great way to water gardens, wash clothing, and take care of many cleaning tasks--or even fill a child's swimming pool. As a homeowner's association, there are several benefits to allowing rainwater collection within the neighborhoods covered by your association--but there can be downsides, as well.
Rainwater is typically collected and stored in barrels outside homes, businesses, and other properties. An inch of rain falling on a 1,000 square foot roof can offer as much as 600 gallons of water. Since this water can then be used for a wide range of purposes, it's a great tactic for many homeowners. There are several systems for storing rainwater, but most rely on a system of gutters and downspouts that have been fitted with filters to prevent as much debris as possible from making its way into the collected water. At the end of the system is a rain barrel that is fitted with a spigot to make it easy to access the collected water.
Rainwater collection offers several key benefits that your homeowner's association should seriously consider. You can choose to allow homeowners to do their own rainwater collection, or you can even fit public buildings with rainwater collection systems in order to take full advantage of these benefits.
Rainwater collection offers several benefits, but it does have its downsides. If you're still considering whether or not to allow rainwater collection in your HOA, make sure you carefully think through them.
Some states, like Texas, have made it illegal for HOAs to prohibit rainwater collection systems due to their key benefits. In other states, however, you can choose to prohibit rainwater collection if you feel that it doesn't meet the needs of your community. If you are in one of those states, however, your homeowners association regulations can still include several key points that will help minimize your worries about rainwater collection.
Rainwater collection offers many benefits for both homeowners and your association as a whole. By carefully considering the benefits along with the possible hazards, you can create a rainwater collection policy that helps keep the beauty and maintain the property values of your community while still allowing each homeowner to experience these key benefits.