Spicewood kids learn water conservation

SPICEWOOD, Texas (KXAN) - As the Hill Country community of Spicewood suffers from the drought and loss of its wells, the community's youngest members are learning how to conserve under extreme water restrictions.

"There's a little stream, but we don't have much," said third-grader Camryn James.
    
Playing on Lake Travis is not what it used to be for James.
 
"The lake's pretty dry. I don't really like it because we can't really go fishing or go swimming or do anything in that, so, it's pretty low," she said.

This drought has taken a toll on James' family -- twice.
 
First they lost their home to the Spicewood fires in September. Now, dried-up wells threaten the community they continue to live in.

"Hearing Spicewood is in jeopardy of losing water and our school also, it has really affected us at home," said Rita James.

The James family -- and others like them -- are washing clothes less,  taking shorter showers and no longer watering lawns.

At Spicewood Elementary School, Principal Leslie Baty is encouraging the water conservation message.

"We have the type of faucets that you do have to turn off, so I just explained to the kids it's very important you go ahead, turn the water on, wash your hands quickly and then turn the water off immediately so they don't just leave the water running," said Baty.

Water conservation may not be the easiest concept for kids to grasp, but when they see lakes and rivers drying up and becoming shallow, it's easier to understand that saving water at home may help save water elsewhere.  

"We're all learning to conserve water," said Rita James. "I hate this is happening in order for everyone to learn from it."

Tuesday the LCRA continued trucking in water to make up for the failing wells of Spicewood.  

"We're all in this together," said Rita James. "That's right, it doesn't matter what community you live in, doesn't matter if you're having water trucked in; you need to start now."

On each dry day, every drop of water saved is a teaching moment for children like Camryn James.

"It's probably very important to save the water and stuff, so we can have drinking water and maybe save stuff like save fish and stuff, save the community," she said.