In 2008, France implemented a regulation framework for rainwater harvesting (RWH). This framework implicitly defines several categories of rainwater quality for different uses through specific technical requirements to be implemented. This paper presents a detailed analysis of these requirements. Then, results concerning the bacteriological and physicochemical water quality from past on-site studies undertaken in France are compared in order to develop a methodological strategy aiming to validate, clarify or invalidate them through future experiments.