Real estate
BY SIENNA WIGHT
Population growth, decreased rainfall and drought are among the factors contributing to the water supply conditions in Central Texas. Hill Country Alliance, RainBees and several Central Texas groundwater conservation districts hosted a presentation on April 28 in Dripping Springs to inform local homeowners and community members about rainwater harvesting as an alternative to wells. There are two main types of rainwater collection systems: dry and wet. In a dry system, tanks are closer to the house or structure, and pipes deposit water directly into the tanks. In a wet system, tanks tend to be further from the structure. Pipes are installed underground and come above ground closer to the tank. When the rain stops, wet systems will still retain water in the pipes. A wet system also features a low-point cleanout, allowing water to be released before freezing temperatures to prevent the pipes from being damaged, according to RainBees consultant Larry Sunn. Homeowners look to rainwater harvesting
Rainwater collection systems:
Wet system When the rain stops, the pipes remain wet.
Dry system When the rain stops, the pipes go dry.
Pipes
Pipes
In a wet system, the tank must be three to six feet below collection pipes.
Over ow
Tank
Tank
Low-point clearout
Pipes travel underground in a wet system
SOURCE: RAINBEES COMMUNITY IMPACT
Why it matters
By the numbers
Although the water supply conditions of lakes Buchanan and Travis are normal due to large amounts of rainfall last summer, groundwater is in “really bad shape,” according to Lane Cockrell, Southwestern Travis County Groundwater Con- servation District, or STCGCD, general manager. Due to a variety of factors, including aquifer depth and porosity, the Lower Trinity Aquifer is not as readily recharged as surface water, and some areas will not be recharged for thousands of years, Community Impact previously reported. Barton Springs-Edwards Aquifer Conservation District, or BSEACD, general manager Charlie Flatten said: “we need … to nd alternative sources of water.” As of May 15, the STCGCD and BSEACD have both declared Extreme Drought. The Hays Trinity Groundwater Conservation District is in an Emergency Stage of drought, with the district predicting that 37 inches of rain is needed over the next six months to end it, which has a less than 1% probability of occurring.
Drought conditions Approximately 77% of Travis County is in extreme drought as of April 28, compared to 96% of Hays County and 1% of Williamson County, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.
For every inch of rain, each square foot of roo ng can collect .62 gallons of water. A system with a 2,400 square- foot roof can collect 1,488 gallons per inch of rainfall.
Abnormally dry None Severe drought Moderate drought Extreme drought
To calculate the amount of water needed for a given household per day, multiply the number of people by 50. A family of four uses roughly 200 gallons of water per day.
Williamson
RainBees consultants recommend that people keep three months of water supply on hand to account for periods of reduced rainfall. For a family of four, that equates to roughly 18,000 gallons.
Travis
Hays
SOURCE: RAINBEES COMMUNITY IMPACT
SOURCE: U.S. DROUGHT MONITOR COMMUNITY IMPACT
21
SOUTHWEST AUSTIN DRIPPING SPRINGS EDITION
Powered by FlippingBook