Collect rainwater for certain private uses: a tip for saving water (and reducing bills) while doing something for the environment.
What to do with rainwater? Are there processing obligations for individuals? Which ones? These are the few questions on the subject.
What obligations?
First of all, note: rainwater is not governed in the same way as wastewater, whose treatment legislation is regulated very strictly.
One obligation, however: if you own a house, you must ensure that your rainwater is discharged either onto your land or onto the public highway, but, be careful, discharge onto a neighboring property is prohibited according to the article 681 of the civil code.
If gutters are not an obligation (but without gutters, this can cause other problems, notably infiltration…, editor’s note), the law requires you to manage the recovery of your rainwater yourself.
Tips
What if you used tricks to get them back? An economic and ecological idea, which could fall within the framework of the AGEC law (Anti-waste law for a circular economy).
In addition to rainwater collectors or collectors to water your garden, wash your car, or wash the floors, it is also possible to use treated (filtered) rainwater in different ways, particularly in your home.
A rainwater network
The idea? Recycle rainwater and limit fresh water consumption. How ? By using rainwater inside the house via a dedicated network because you cannot mix rainwater and water for consumption (A connection between the two networks is prohibited).
In fact, water collected from rain is considered non-drinkable. A rainwater collection installation inside the house must then be checked every six months according to current legislation.
It will therefore be necessary, for domestic use, to have a network specific to rainwater. These possibilities are regulated by a decree of August 21, 2008, reinforced by that of 2023, and must be declared to the town hall.
What about flushing the toilet?
But what to do with this rainwater in the house? Why not for your toilet flush… This use is authorized.
But be careful, the recovery of this water is however prohibited in the bathroom. The 2008 decree also proposes, on an experimental basis, to use rainwater for washing laundry, subject to treatment of the water in order to disinfect it, but the decree of August 23, 2023, however, seems to prohibit this use.
Bans on rainwater harvesting exist in particular for buildings welcoming certain audiences such as medical practices, schools, retirement homes, nurseries, etc.
All to avoid problems that could be caused by a possible interconnection of networks, for example.
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