Local homes run on rainwater

AUSTIN (KXAN) - According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, Central Texas still remains under an exceptional drought. Last week's rain only put a small dent in our 19 month rain deficit of nearly two feet.

Dire drought conditions and the motivation to "go green" have some Central Texans looking at new ways of conserving water. Rain barrels are a simple way to start. They collect rainwater runoff so homeowners can water their gardens and lawns.

The City of Austin even provides a $500 rebate to help offset the cost of rain barrels if you plan on collecting over 300 gallons. The city also offers 75 gallon barrels at a subsidized cost. If you have a 2,500 square foot home and receive 32 inches of rain annually, you can collect nearly 45,000 gallons of water. Go to the Zilker Botanical Gardens or Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, and you can see a rainwater harvesting system in use.

Then there are those who take it one step further. Joe Wheeler uses rainwater for everything from flushing toilets to running the washing machine. Rainfilters of Texas is a system that collects rainwater runoff from his roof. The water is filtered over and over and then pumped back into his home. It was a much cheaper and cleaner option than drilling a well.

"Your showers don't get calcium on them," said Austinite Joe Wheeler. "The faucets don't get stopped up so the water's much much cleaner than anything."

There is a lot to consider when looking into rainwater harvesting.

"It's a math problem," said Wheeler. "How big is your roof? How big is your family? How big is your tank and do you have room all of it? And, how much rainfall do you get a year? Because, 1,000 square feet of roof will produce at least 500 gallons of water per inch of rain."

Proposed legislation, House Bill 4299, looks to make rainwater harvesting more effective for those living off of the city's water supply.