Rainwater Collection Plans and Urban Farming: Rainwater is Part of Water Rights

Last night, while watching the Olympics, advertised a piece on collecting rainwater for watering the garden.  It seems that this practice is illegal, as it is technically stealing from those that have purchased water rights downstream of wherever you are.  Water rights, in Suburbia?  

The first thing you need to understand is that Utah, despite the growing urban sprawl in the Salt Lake, Utah, Davis, and Weber counties, is an Agricultural State.  Our laws were originally written to protect the rights of farmers from other farmers, and those laws stay on the books.  With dwindling farmland in the Salt Lake valley in particular, the water rights laws seem to be more archaic than applicable.  

But note, I said dwindling, not non-existent.  There are still some farms, generally small, in the area around my home.  So taking the water that someone else has spent money to procure would be stealing, and as I support farming in all forms it just isn't something I could do in all good conscience.

So what is the urban farmer do to in order to decrease drinking water usage?  Is there no hope?  Does the urban farmer need to forever be a slave to municipal water districts and their high  fees?  That's what I am about to find out.  

I started by emailing the director of the Utah Division of Water Resources, and the Salt Lake representative to see what exactly would be their recommended course of action.  I intend to complete this project, which would not only provide water for my plants, but also help "fuel" my aquaculture program as well.  But I want it to be legal.  

There is at least one possible recourse, which is what Mark Miller Toyota took in order to use the rainwater that landed on their roof for car washes:  he worked out a deal with the Salt Lake City public works department to use their name to divert the rainwater into their cisterns.  Perhaps a similar course of action could be accomplished for residents.  After all, no self respecting urban farmer would want to be in violation of the law while accomplishing their goal.  

Once I get an answer from Water Resources, I will post it.