Prairielands Groundwater Conservation District Rainwater Harvesting Program
Overview
- Category: Governmental
- Organization Location: Cleburne, Texas; Johnson County
- Activity: Offsets the demands and potential impacts of their new office facility on the environment and water resources by using the rooftop footprint to capture rainwater.
Background
The Prairielands Groundwater Conservation District minimized impact on the environment by installing two metal cisterns along with a rain garden and native plant beds that use harvested rainwater for irrigation. The area irrigated by the system has provided food and habitat for a variety of bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. Additionally, the District promotes rainwater harvesting with a robust education program to correspond with the onsite utilization. The District’s Water Education Trailer includes a rainwater harvesting model with a rainfall simulator, water collection calculator, and diorama of a traditional residential rainwater harvesting system. Between the cisterns and rain garden, an average of 80,000 gallons of water is captured over the course of a year. The system has proven useful and cost effective by providing a dependable water source that allows the District to water efficiently through drip irrigation instead of relying on the public water supply.