Rainwater Harvesting and the Benefits for Homeowners

SAN ANGELO, TX - Rainwater Harvesting is a system that can ensure a lasting water source for citizens living in Tom Green County, especially during the drought season.

This technique is used for collecting, storing, and using rainwater for landscaping irrigation and other uses.

All-Tex and Angelo Seamless Rain Gutters work together to provide this installation for home owners in Tom Green County.

Chuck Hardgraze, with Angelo Seamless Rain Gutters, talked about the benefits of rain harvesting during the dryer months. He has helped with installing 50 gallon (gal.) to 25,000 gal. barrel systems. He said the usage depends on the purpose the homeowner wants to use the water for.

“Any amount of water that you catch can help with your plants,” Hardgraze said. “When [we] get into a drought, the more water you can store the easier it is to save your trees and all when it gets dry.” 

A key component of water harvesting is the gutter, which directs the water to the tank. 

 “[All-Tex] supplies the tank and the piping that is directed to the tank,” Hardgraze said.

In terms of cost, it depends on the amount that home owners want to store from the rain water. This could be using a simple rain barrel for watering plants, or setting up a system where the water is run through a filter to be used for home use.

This process also involves UV-light to purify the water, Jeff Perrine, owner of All-Tex Irrigation and Supply said. All-Tex offers a system that takes a one-inch outlet with a sediment filter (sieve to remove particles) and a charcoal filter to remove the odor. This is done before applying the UV-light.

“The UV kills pretty much anything,” Perrine said. He mentioned this same process is used with hospitals and their water usage.

Cost and Benefits

The cost of this procedure can vary depending on the size of the system homeowners want to use.

When considering a 25,000 gal. system, Hardgraze said that could cost up to $30,000 for the entire system. This amount would bring the benefit of gardening and having the water to use at home.

“You have to catch a lot of water to run the sprinkler system off of it,” Hardgraze said.

Regarding the fluctuating dry season, where it can be dry for a couple months at a time, both Hardgraze and Perrine believe this is a reasonable solution.

Perrine said the cost will be determined by having the land to hold the water. Inexpensive tanks of 100 to 150 gal. are reasonable; however, that also accounts for placing a tank on the property.

“The more room you have, the more you can capture and the better off you are,” Hardgraze said.

He added that the installation of water harvesting has become more popular in the last two years, but the reason most home owners are reluctant to invest in it is because of tanks being displayed in the front of their house. It costs extra to have the tank run through the backside of a house, for pvc pipe is needed to run the system underground, Hardgraze said.

Perrine added that some believe the water restrictions placed by the City, and the fact it doesn’t rain often, can contribute to avoiding this approach; however, he said it does rain in Tom Green County; there is 20 inches of rain annually.

Click here to read more on the weather statistics for Tom Green County.  

Other Benefits and Investments

There are also benefits for the agriculture market by using the spraying technique with the harvested water. Farms use larger systems that can hold around 30,000 to 40,000 thousand gal. of water.

When using the water to spray the pH (potential of hydrogen), levels and the water are softer for the crops, Perrine said.

“It doesn’t require as much chemical because it coats the plants better,” he added.

He also said a family of four could last off a 30,000 gal. storage facility with the amount of rainfall in Tom Green County.

“I think it’s going to get more and more popular,” Perrine said. “It’s an investment that will always pay off.”

He mentioned the water becoming scarce encourages homeowners to take action and prevents them from missing out on these benefits of preserving water.

If used correctly, the investment can pay itself off in six months after instillation, Perrine added. If it takes more than a year, the benefit of having a usable water supply is till beneficial for home owners.  

“It’s not real complex or difficult,” he said. “It’s just a matter of being taught and trained.”

Click here to visit All-Tex website and learn more about water harvesting.