A bill that would allow Colorado residents to legally put out boiled down to a debate over precedent and “common sense” in the statehouse Friday.
The measure, letting residents to use on their gardens, passed a narrow voice vote, and it appears to be in danger when a roll-call vote is held next week.
Colorado water law says water that falls on your roof isn’t yours; it belongs to the system and ultimately downstream users who own a water right, said Rep. Don Coram, R-Montrose.
Rep. Jessie Danielson, D-Wheat Ridge, countered: “It still goes into the same ground it would if it came down the gutter and straight into the ground.”
And rather than seeing that water be absorbed or evaporate, residents could replace the gardening water that comes from a spigot — saving water for those with downstream water rights, she said.
“While the amount of water saved is modest, having rain barrels in yards around the state will serve as an important tool to increase Coloradans’ knowledge of our limited rainfall and water supply,” said Pete Maysmith, executive director of Conservation Colorado. “This common-sense step should help people understand the need for smart water-conservation policies.”
Coram, however, said well-intentioned allowances won’t jibe with the state’s water laws.
“It’s not a buffet,” he said. “You don’t get to pick and choose what you like.”
Rep. Jim Wilson, R-Salida, compared rain barrels to skirting hunting laws to kill wildlife that happens to be on a person’s property.
While all the others who spoke against the bill Friday were Republicans, Rep. Lori Saine, R-Dacono, sided with Democrats. She said lots of people already use rain barrels, and anyone who leaves a container outside in the rain “is a criminal right now.”
“This is where common sense meets the intersection of politics and science,” she said.
Joey Bunch: 303-954-1174, jbunch@denverpost.com or twitter.com/joeybunch
