By MONETTE TAYLOR | South Central Texas Edition

Due to great interest in rainwater harvesting, the Luling Foundation’s Annual Field Day included information on the day’s agenda. Hays County Extension Agent Bryan Davis (center, hand raised), explains the details of a cistern system to the field day attendees. -- Staff photo by Taylor

June 8, 2006 - After months of very little moisture, parts of South Central Texas received anywhere between a brief shower to over 10 inches of rain on Memorial Day, and the forecast showed several days of various precipitation levels.

When it does rain, saving the rainwater is an idea that is attracting more and more attention. During the 79th Annual Field Day at the Luling Foundation on May 18, Bryan Davis, Hays County Extension agent, presented details on rainwater harvesting.

Texans are accustomed to either “feast or famine,” and “drought or flooding.” With water becoming scarcer, some of us are returning to the cisterns of early Texas settlers. Many folks remember visiting grandparents who had cisterns where they could either pump the water out, or drop a pulley-held bucket into the well, to gather water. Many homes did not have running water and depended upon the cisterns for everything from drinking water to bathing.  

Today, there is a “renewed interest in collecting rainwater,” Davis said, for reasons such as cost savings, health, and purity of rainwater. (Of course, during times of a drought or flooding, cisterns can offer their own unique problems.) Today’s collected rainwater is often used for assisting wildlife and livestock, and the many tasks of landscaping, including for chemical application.

Tin seems to be the material of choice when collecting rainwater, said Davis. According to statistics from Texas Cooperative Extension, .6 gallons of water can be collected per square foot. That means with 2,000 square feet of tin and a one-inch rain, a total of 1,200 gallons of water for use can be collected. Davis estimated that over a year, around 24,000 gallons of water could be harvested, with the “right” amounts of rainfall.

While these statistics may sound good, Davis noted the “average” cistern costs around $6,000 to construct, which equals out to 30 cents to $1.25 per gallon of harvested water. Obviously, gutters and roofs are important to a rain harvesting method, as well as the materials used to build a cistern. Although plastic is cheaper, wood, plastic and steel can be used for collection.

Along with a good cistern, Davis said users need to make sure they have an “overflow pipe” connected and ready for action, as well as a pump or pressure pump connected to the tank.

Another tip pointed out by Davis is that the Ultra Violet (UV) natural light usually kills all bacteria in the water collected.

At the Luling Foundation, a cistern has been added and the harvested rainwater is used for plants, drinking, landscaping and livestock. Plus, Davis noted, the system is great for wildlife in Texas and could be very important in the amount of quail in South Texas available for hunts.

For more information concerning cisterns, contact the Texas Cooperative Extension office in your county.