Drought Conditions, Meet Rainwater Tanks

Darlene’s rainwater harvesting tank sits behind her home in Southwest Austin. After a week of rainfall in early November, water filled to the top of her tank (Photo by Emily Engelnart)

When Ron Van Sickle founded his rainwater harvesting tank company Cqure Water more than a decade ago, many of his customers were environmentally concerned or wanted better water quality. Now, Van Sickle said it has evolved into something else: “There’s no other water.”

A result of this past summer’s scorching temperatures and limited rainfall, Austinites now face stage 2 watering restrictions, and last month the Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District declared a stage 4 drought for the first time in its 36-year history. Less rain also means pumping deeper into wells for water, and at least one company – Aqua Texas – has pumped more than its fair share.

Van Sickle said these conditions might account for the increasing demand of rainwater tanks that his company has been experiencing.

“It’s gorgeous out here, but water is a huge problem,” said Darlene, a Southwest Austin resident who installed a 30,000-gallon rainwater tank last year. “All of the conversations with people out here are, ‘water, water, water.’”

By installing a rainwater tank, Darlene said she would be taking some pressure off of the groundwater supply that her neighbors also depend on. And she sought to avoid the local groundwater’s sulphuric fragrance, which might be a result of bacteria.

While Darlene said the $35,000 tank made sense economically for her, Texas A&M professor of biological engineering Fouad Jaber says reducing runoff into streams in Texas is a plus, preventing pollution and reducing flood risk. According to a study from the University of Southern California, rainwater tanks also help avoid sewage overflow.

Texas has several laws encouraging rainwater harvesting, including a mandate that no city in Texas ban the use of these tanks. The ballpark cost of a rainwater collection system for a family of two to four would be $10,000 to $12,000, according to the Plum Creek Conservation District based in Lockhart. But tax incentives exist, too: The Texas tax code exempts rainwater harvesting equipment and supplies from state sales tax. Also, the city of Austin offers rebates for certain water-quality-focused residential upgrades, including up to $5,000 for installing rainwater harvesting equipment.

For the many people who can’t afford rainwater tanks holding thousands of gallons, Jaber pointed out cheaper ways to work with rain. Rain gardens and green roofs, for example, still reduce runoff. The latter also helps to cool rooftops. More simply, rain barrels can collect rainwater for everyday purposes.