Rainwater Harvesting

For centuries, people have relied on rainwater harvesting to supply water for household, landscape, livestock, and agricultural uses.

Before the advent of large centralized water supply systems, rainwater was collected from roofs and stored on-site in tanks known as cisterns. With the development of large, reliable water treatment and distribution systems and more affordable well drilling equipment, rain harvesting was all but forgotten, even though it offered a source of pure, soft, low-sodium water.

A renewed interest in this time-honored approach of collecting water has emerged in Texas and elsewhere because of escalating environmental and economic costs of providing water by centralized water systems or by well drilling. The health benefits of rainwater and potential cost savings associated with rainwater collection systems have further spurred this interest.

Texas is one of only a few states in the nation that has devoted a considerable amount of attention to rainwater harvesting and has enacted many laws regulating the practice of collecting rainwater.

Texas Tax Code 151.355 allows for a state sales tax exemption on rainwater harvesting equipment.

Texas Property Code 202.007 prevents homeowners associations from banning rainwater harvesting installations.

Texas House Bill 3391 requires rainwater harvesting system technology to be incorporated into the design of new state buildings and allows financial institutions to consider making loans for developments using rainwater as the sole source of water supply.

With that in mind, the Texas Water Development Board announces the Texas Rain Catcher Award, a rainwater harvesting competition and recognition program that since 2007, has promoted the technology, educated the public, and recognized excellence in the application of rainwater harvesting systems in Texas.

There are several benefits to winning the competition. It will help you earn recognition both within the rainwater harvesting community and beyond, as well as enhance your reputation as an individual or entity dedicated to water conservation in Texas. As a winner, you will receive free publicity and will be recognized on the TWDB Web site for at least two years.

Award: Winners of the Texas Rain Catcher Award will be invited to Austin, Texas, to receive their award during a regular meeting of the TWDB Board in September. Winning entries will be displayed on the TWDB Web site for at least two years. Thereafter, they will be available for viewing in the Archives section for a period of five years. The winning entries will also be profiled in a TWDB newsletter.