“Water is the ultimate natural resource”. After all, it is something all living plants and animals must have to sustain life. If we are prepared, we can collect this resource in a high quality, soft form called rainwater. This can be done at a relatively low cost.

Systems for collection can range from a simple rain barrel set under the house gutter or eve to an UV treated and filtered system that could meet hospital purity standards.

On Saturday March 8th beginning at 1:30 p.m. at the PEC auditorium in Johnson City, experts will discuss rainwater collection systems. We will also tour two local systems and hear from the people who operate them. Texas AgriLife Extension- Blanco County, LCRA, Natural Resource Conservation Service, The Nature Conservancy, Preserve Our Water, and the Pedernales Soil and Water Conservation District have teamed up to sponsor this educational program. This program is free to the public and all those interested are invited to attend.

Mr. Billy Kniffen, County Extension Agent from Menard County, will kickoff the program with an overview of why and how to collect rainwater. He will explain how collecting rainwater can, believe it or not, “change your life.”

Mr. Dave Collins, with Preserve our Water will present photos of local collection systems and demonstrate how unobtrusive these systems can be.

Local installers will be also be available to assist in answering any questions you may have.

We will then car pool to two locations to view systems that are currently in operation. The Johnson City High School will be the first stop, followed by a stop at the Mary Moody residence located west of Johnson City. The program will conclude at 4:30 p.m.

If you have an interest in rainwater collection systems or just interested in the opportunities that are out there to help preserve this valuable resource, plan on spending your Saturday afternoon with us.

Educational programs of Texas AgriLife Extension Service are open to all people without regard to race, color, sex, disability, religion, age, or national origin. The Texas A&M University System, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the County Commissioners Courts of Texas Cooperating.