New regulations on how Virginians can reuse rainwater got the final stamp of approval from Gov. Glenn Youngkin this week.
The Virginia registrar’s office will enact the final regulation on Oct. 21, according to the state’s regulatory website.
Rainwater harvesting simply means capturing rainwater to reuse or redirect. It can range from a small backyard rain barrel to commercial-scale operations.
The new rules outline standards for making rainwater drinkable, including requiring permits for potable systems, but not when the water will be used for other uses like toilet flushing.
Cheryle Rodriguez with the Virginia Department of Health said in an email this summer that in the past, the department offered guidelines on rainwater harvesting but did not regulate it. “This will change,” she said, specifically for private systems.
Rodriguez said taking advantage of harvested rainwater “can reduce stress on Virginia aquifers already burdened by human demand."
The changes are due in part to advocacy by a Newport News auto shop owner.
Tyrone Jarvis first installed a rainwater harvesting system at his Go Green Auto Care on Warwick Boulevard about a decade ago, using a device that diverts rain from outdoor gutters into a big indoor tank then cleans it with UV and carbon filtration.
It was like a mad scientist experiment, Jarvis told WHRO earlier this year.
“When the rain started falling, we watched that tank fill up so quick,” he said. “We plugged in the pump and turned on the water faucet and this crystal clear, beautiful water came out. It was something that we thought we had just stumbled upon like a treasure.”
Soon afterward, Newport News officials told Jarvis his rainwater system violated city code. He’s faced condemnation of his building and a temporary shutdown of the auto shop over the years while fighting to keep the system in place.
With help from then-Del. David Yancey back in 2018, Jarvis ultimately helped craft state legislation to expand access to the sustainable practice.
He was also part of a workgroup that developed the resulting regulation over the past six years.
In an email this week, Jarvis said he’s grateful his work paid off.
“This incredibly important action will allow everyone in Virginia to use water wisely,” he wrote.
