Cqure Water

https://youtu.be/PmYWh2pLum8?si=uATVXbdY14SN0Da2

One of our home building partners sent us this video this morning with an interesting and pertinent question; "What does this mean for rainwater collection? If Central Texas is seeing diminished rainfall... is rainwater collection still a viable option? Is it the best option to offer new home building clients?"
Well the short answer is still a resounding YES!!! But continue reading for a more in depth response from our founder, Ron Van Sickle

"I think it positions rainwater harvesting very well as a future necessity for building in the hill country.

Although there's been a four year deficit of ~40" in many places, that still means we're getting 20-24" average rainfall per year in that period. If a family of four needs 3,500 gallons per month for their household needs (indoor use) then they need to collect from a roof area of at least 3,500 sq. ft in order to keep up in a 20" year. A 2,500 sq. ft. single story home with a garage, porches and 2' overhangs almost always has a minimum of 3,500 sq. ft of roof. Add a detached building or better yet, a metal shop building and most families could get by with 8 to 10", and that is Phoenix and El Paso's annual rainfall!

I think the future of well water is bleak. We are now getting a ton of calls for systems in the areas east of Bastrop that we traditionally thought of as "wetter" than the hill country. They're coming in a line from Seguin to Bryan. Folks there are seeing their wells dry up, and when new wells are drilled the water is too salty to use - it requires RO / Desalination. That makes the initial cost of a water supply as well as the running cost very expensive compared to a traditional well that might just need a sediment filter and softener.

I have been spending a lot of time out that way and it is incredible to see all of the creeks and ponds bone dry. Many of the ranchers out there are competing with the fracking water supply companies, who've drilled thousands of water wells to service the drilling operations along the Eagle Ford play.

There's simply too much competition for groundwater and it's probably way too late for regulations to make a difference.

I think the future is Rainwater Harvesting, and it's up to homeowners, advised by their builders and design teams, to create a resilient, independent supply for their properties. One of my clients is collecting from 12,000 sq. ft. of roof into two 65,000 gallon water tanks, which supply his large home, guest house, double negative edge pool, and some light landscape irrigation. We have installed several similar sized systems in that neighborhood, and the neighbors frequently discuss the concept of "zero groundwater use" there. There are a few holdouts who are watering a few acres of lawns that they'll need to convert, but 80% of the households there are not using groundwater indoors and many of those have no wells at all."

Canyon Lake VANISHING—34 Million Gallons Lost Daily as Texas Hill Country Faces Water Apocalypse Canyon Lake VANISHING—34 Million Gallons Lost Daily as Texas Hill Country Faces Water ApocalypseCanyon Lake is facing a severe water crisis as an estimated 3...

We've received a lot of inquiries from East of I-35 this year - places where we usually think of as much wetter... this map shows just how dry it's been to the East of Austin.

Some more context on just how bad our drought has become in the last 4+ years.

Of the last 51 months (since the start of 2022), only 11 months have had a surplus of rainfall. In that time, we've racked up a 41" deficit of rainfall which is more than we get in an average year. 8" of that deficit has occurred in just the last 8 months. The map here highlights our percent-of-normal rainfall over the last ~6 months, and most of us have seen just 20-25% of what is expected in the fall and winter. September 1 -> February 28 just ranked as our 2nd driest in recorded history.

The last time we had a surplus in Austin was due to the catastrophic July 4th weekend flooding. On the plus side, that flood nearly erased our soil drought and got our lakes back to nearly full capacity. The downside is that the rain all fell at once and very little of it getting deeper into the soil. That's why our aquifers are suffering the most; very little replenishment in half a decade, and more pumping to support a booming population. Barton Springs is at critically low flow as a result which is just a microcosm of the widespread issues developing under our feet.

Our transition away from La Nina this spring has me cautiously hopeful in a better rainfall result between April and June, but if we somehow get the short end of the stick again, then we're heading for a long/hot summer full of conversations about our water woes.