Proposition 72 excludes rainwater capture systems from property tax assessments.

Proposition 72 would allow the California State Legislature to exclude rainwater capture systems added to properties after January 1, 2019, from being counted as new construction.

Under current law, taxes increase when property owners add new construction to their property. Adding a rainwater capture system counts as a new construction. Proposition 72 would exclude rainwater capture systems from the definition of new construction and allow people to install rainwater capture systems without triggering higher taxes.

Eliminating the tax penalty for Californians who install systems to store and reuse water will lower water bills, but more importantly, it will preserve water, thereby reducing the need to draw from lakes, rivers and streams and leave more for fish and wildlife.

California voters approved a similar tax reform for solar systems. Because homeowners are not required to pay higher taxes when they install rooftop solar, our electricity costs are lower. A Yes vote on Proposition 72 would allow us to follow the same path.

Yes on Proposition 72 is supported by environmental groups throughout California, including Save The Bay, Planning and Conservation League and Trout Unlimited. Water conservation and environmentally sensitive water storage are important elements of our anti-drought response.