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Rain barrel bill trickles on: Colorado governor confident he will sign the bill this year

Staff reports
Rain water harvesting is becoming popular among conservation minded gardeners. By collecting rain water from rain gutters and storing it a rain barrel its ready for future use without taxing public water sources. Many modern styles are available on the market but here's the good old fashioned kind.

As promised, Rep. Jerry Sonnenberg, R-Sterling, held a vote about Colorado rain barrels.

The vote was in favor of sending the bill to the Senate, 6-3. The bill was tabled March 24, but Sonnenberg said the Senate Agriculture, Natural Resources and Energy Committee would vote on the bill before the session ended.

Last year a similar bill was tabled indefinitely, but legalizing rain barrels is more probable this year than last.



House Bill 1005 was originally tabled this year after the committee was told it would be difficult to monitor rain barrels.

If the bill passes, two 55-gallon barrels will be legal for people to collect rain. In Colorado, only people who own wells are currently able to have rain barrels.



Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper said he is confident the bill will get his signature this year.

“Sometimes Colorado functions like the way Great Britain says the United States did leading up to World War II,” Hickenlooper said to The Denver Post. “Prime Minister Churchill said the United States could always be counted on to do the right thing, but only after they’ve exhausted the other possibilities.” ❖

­­— Staff reports


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