December 9, 2012

Water Conservation Matters – even with no drought

What Mike says to San Angelo can apply throughout the Hill Country, “If San Angelo and the region are to continue to survive and prosper economically and if Texas is to be sustainable with its limited water resources, then residents must learn to conserve water all the time — not just in drought situations.” Learn More

September 26, 2012

SAWS to Take Water Conservation Outside: Just Say “NO” to Automatic Water Sprinklers

Dana Nichols and Karen Guz are on a mission: if you are one of the estimated 30% of SAWS customers who water regularly with an automatic irrigation system, they want you to turn it off. Better yet: get rid of it. Read more from the Rivard Report

July 16, 2012

2012 Texas Water Plan identifies Hill Country water shortages

The 2012 Texas Water Plan produced by the Texas Water Development Board reports that water supplies for the Hill Country are insufficient to meet projected municipal (urban and rural) water demands during the next severe drought. The report identifies 60 Hill Country municipal water suppliers (i.e. city utilities and water districts) that will have water shortages. For many of the suppliers, the water demands are substantially greater than the supplies. View Presentation by Raymond Slade, HCA Advisory Board and Technical Team member.

July 9, 2012

Not a drop to waste

It’s easy to overwater your landscape during the hot Central Texas summer. This can waste water and money and actually harm your lawn and landscaping by making them more susceptible to disease. Even during the heat of summer, a typical landscape needs only about an inch of water a week to stay healthy. Because of the thinner soils found in Central Texas, many experts suggest watering about one-half inch twice a week. Figuring out exactly how much a half-inch is may sound difficult, but it can be accomplished with a few simple tools that most people have around the house.Learn more from LCRA.

July 5, 2012

Well, that’s interesting: Man takes trip down water memory lane

“There are still artesian wells in Texas, Mace said, but most of them are now gone. Some towns just let the wells run free until they stopping running altogether. “They just played out,” Mace said. “It’s actually a really good lesson in conservation.” Read more from Statesman.com.

June 12, 2012

On Water Conservation, Texas Has Room to Improve

The need to conserve was driven home by the 2012 state water plan, which opens with the statement: “In serious drought conditions, Texas does not and will not have enough water to meet the needs of its people, its businesses, and its agricultural enterprises.” “Conservation is an essential part of the state water plan,” says John Nielsen-Gammon, the state climatologist. “It’s part of how we get from point A to point B. It’s also the least expensive to implement.” Read full Texas Tribune article.

Texas Gets Creative With Recycling Water

Reclaimed water “is a way to stretch our existing supplies and potentially avoid expensive infrastructure projects,” said Myron Hess, the manager of the Texas water program for the National Wildlife Federation. Putting potable water on grass is especially wasteful, environmentalists say. Read more from Texas Tribune.

May 24, 2012

Going ‘Native’ in Texas With Less Water

Consider the findings of one Texas survey: about 2/3 of residents’ water use in the summer goes to watering their yards. Is the desire to have a nice yard in opposition to conserving our volatile water sources? For co-owner of Fertile Ground, Alexa Villalobos, achieving the two is not only possible; it’s ideal. Read more from NPR.

May 1, 2012

Water IQ: “Know your water”

Everyone is looking for ways to provide education about water conservation. The TWCD created “Water IQ” to provide tools and partnerships for suppliers, cities, organizations and others to deliver a clear unified conservation message. Check out Water IQ for conservation tips, resources and ways to use Water IQ in your local area.

March 5, 2012

Take the 40 Gallon Challenge

The 40 Gallon Challenge is a call for residents and businesses to reduce our region’s water use on average by 40 gallons per person, per day. The challenge began in 2011 as a voluntary campaign to increase water conservation. Learn More

February 4, 2012

Protecting water in Texas: a promise kept or broken?

Fifty years ago, Texas experienced the drought of record — which simply means the worst drought we had ever seen. Following that drought, big thinkers made big decisions. They invested in infrastructure to expand existing surface water supplies, cultivate unexplored groundwater supplies, and store and conserve more water. The investments of the 1950s have gotten us this far, but won’t carry us much further. Read more from Statesman.com.