Laws and Incentives for RWH in Texas (and in other states) Dr. Hari J. Krishna Austin, Texas

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1 Laws and Incentives for RWH in Texas (and in other states) Dr. Hari J. Krishna Austin, Texas

2 Laws, regulations and incentives Laws and regulations need not be restrictive or difficult. Appropriate laws and incentives for RWH can be helpful for water conservation (particularly in semi-arid states). This presentation provides highlights of the various laws and incentives that have been developed to promote RWH in Texas, and in a few other states.

3 Current status of RWH in the US and globally Various combinations exist currently of Incentives Cost-sharing approaches Regulations Mandatory laws Tax credits Guidelines No single measure applies to all states and countries Legislation depends on local needs and conditions

4 Promoting RWH and Developing Suitable Laws in Texas A 20-year process. and counting 1993 Proposition 2 was passed Property Tax Exemption for RWH equipment in non-residential facilities 1994 ARCSA was established in Austin 1997 (First) RWH guide was published 2001 SB 2 was passed Sales Tax Exemption for RWH 2003 HB 645 was passed prohibiting HOAs from implementing RWH. Austin & San Antonio begin rebates for RWH HB 9 Encouraged RWH at State Buildings 2003 First ARCSA Conference held in Austin to promote RWH

5 Growth of RWH in Texas.. continued 2005 Texas Manual on RWH was published 2005 HB 2430 passed, creating the RWH Evaluation Committee - To determine RWH potential and make recommendations 2006 RWH Evaluation Committee meetings, Report 2007 HB 4 was passed RWH for State Buildings >10,000 sq. ft of roof area Non-potable uses 2009 HB 1818 / HB 4299 passed by House, but unrelated issues delayed Senate adoption

6 RWH Evaluation committee - Findings & recommendations If just 10% of roof area in TX used for RWH, 38 billion gal of municipal water can be saved annually New state buildings >10,000 sq. ft roof area to have RWH systems (HB 4) $500,000 every other year to provide matching grants for RWH demonstration projects Develop other incentive programs as needed TCEQ to exempt homes with RWH from WQ regs. (HB 4) TX AgriLife to provide RWH training Colleges and Universities to develop RWH courses (HB 4)

7 Growth of RWH in Texas.. continued 2011 HB 3391 allowed loans for facilities with rainwater as the sole source Allowed potable use of rainwater along with public water supplies 2013 HB 2781 Permits RWH for potable and non-potable uses in conjunction with municipal water supply 2013 HB 4 / $2 billion provided by Texas Legislature for water projects including $400 million for water conservation and reuse (May 30, 2013) (constitutional amendment to be approved by voters in Nov 2013)

8 Federal tax credits for energy efficiency (currently allowed) RWH reduces municipal water use which, in turn, lowers energy consumption... RWH systems could potentially be included as Energy Star products for federal tax credits, Federal tax credits allowed up to 30% of the cost! Metal roofs already included Solar systems included too

9 Ways to develop laws and regulations helpful to RWH Design RWH systems instead of storm water ponds Conserve water through Rainwater storage facilities instead of spending large amounts of money on building retention ponds Link up with ARCSA, TRCA, and other Water Conservation and Environmental organizations to benefit from their resources

10 Laws and Regulations in other States Colorado CO SB RWH allowed only to homeowners with exempt wells, and without access to municipal water. CO HB Allows developers to apply for pilot projects that harvest rainwater for beneficial, but nonessential use. Colorado Division of Water Resources

11 States with laws supporting RWH Arizona California Colorado Illinois Kentucky New Mexico North Carolina Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Rhode Island Texas Utah Virginia Washington U.S. Virgin Islands

12 Arizona Arizona Revised Statutes Tax Credits for RWH AZ H 2363 AZ H 2830 New Mexico - Santa Fe County requires RWH for all commercial and residential development Utah Code Annotated ,500 gallons of rainwater capture allowed

13 Commercial applications.. Rainwater Harvesting and Beneficial Use instead of Storm water Retention Ponds An example from Webster, Texas

14 Medical Office Building, Webster, TX Jacob White Construction Co. - Houston Awarded TWDB s Rain Catcher Award Storage Capacity: 175,000 gallons in 700 ft. of 4' by 8' underground box culverts Catchment Area: 14,500 square foot roof area plus storm water from parking area Green roof to absorb some rain and cool the building Site retains and reuses 90% of the rainfall it receives Water Use: Landscape irrigation and rest room use

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17 Medical Office Building, Webster, TX

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19 Medical Office Building, Webster, TX Cost Savings: No need to build a retention pond, saving property owner $125,000 Long-term savings: approx. $350,000 due to water and energy savings

20 Other examples of facilities using RWH

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26 Summary and Conclusions Legislation supporting RWH will help homeowners and businesses conserve water and save money as well. Rainwater capture from roofs will not significantly affect streamflow in the watersheds RWH can help save treated municipal water Start by promoting RWH for all non-potable uses Next step - plan RWH for all uses potable and nonpotable

27 Thank You!!