Rainwater laws / New Mexico
Is it legal to collect rainwater in New Mexico?
Checked at New Mexico's own statutes and agencies, November 2026. Not legal advice.
Allowed
Yes. The State Engineer encourages harvesting roof rain for landscaping and other on-site use. In the Gila basin, outdoor use needs a water right.
What the rules say
- Office of the State Engineer policy (2004), quoted by the Legislative Finance Committee: it "encourages the harvesting, collection and use of rainwater from residential and commercial roof surfaces for on-site landscape irrigation and other on-site domestic uses."
- Harvested rainwater "may not be appropriated for any other uses."
- Tax credit bills in 2015 and 2024 weren't enacted.
Before you buy a big tank
State law is only one layer. Cities and counties can set their own rules, especially for tanks plumbed into the house, and an HOA can limit where a barrel sits. Drinking rainwater needs treatment everywhere. For a barrel or two on a downspout for the garden, the state rule above is usually the one that matters.
Where the numbers come from
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