Compliance Knowledge Base
The 110-gallon rule, in plain English.
Colorado is one of the strictest rainwater states in the country. Homes.Boring.Energy turns the single legal exception — C.R.S. § 37-96.5-103 — into a repeatable residential water-resilience system.
Allowed
- Single-family residence on the same lot as the barrels
- Up to 4 residential units per parcel (duplex / triplex / fourplex)
- Two rain barrels with combined capacity ≤ 110 gallons
- Bottom drain + overflow returning water to the same property
- Routing collected water into an on-lot leisure feature (hot tub, pond, moat) for the household's personal use
Never allowed
- Combined barrel capacity over 110 gallons
- Pooling collected water with neighbors or across multiple owners
- Commercial use, including indoor or outdoor cultivation for sale
- Off-lot conveyance — the water must be used or discharged on the same parcel
- Bypassing the gutter/barrel system or installing storage tanks above 110 gal
Frequently asked
Not legal advice. Homes.Boring.Energy encodes the public statute and Colorado Division of Water Resources guidance. Always consult your own attorney and your county building department before installation.