Hill Country Youth Event Center
Overview
- Category: Community
- Organization Location: Kerrville, Texas
- Activity:Harvested rain is stored in two 65,000-gallon galvanized storage tanks and used onsite for various non-potable water needs.
Background:
The Hill Country Youth Event Center Complex in Kerrville opened in December 2012 and hosts as many as 30,000 visitors a year at numerous community events. Kerr County Commissioners faced a high water use dilemma when the new complex was built and chose rainwater harvesting as the solution. Funded by a county bond election and designed and installed by Mr. Barry Wall of Ingram, the system funnels rainwater from both the main exhibit hall and the west side of the adjacent arena into two 65,000-gallon galvanized storage tanks fitted with food-grade liners.
The collection system provides all the water for the 45 indoor and 18 outdoor livestock wash bays and for all the toilets and urinals in the exhibit hall. The water is also used for dust control in the indoor arena and to irrigate the event center’s native Texas landscaping. By harvesting the rainwater, localized flooding, erosion, and runoff into the Guadalupe River are reduced. The system is backed-up by the City of Kerrville’s water supply, but rainwater has supplied all needs to date.