Samuel Jackson, Inc. receives the Texas Water Development Board's Texas Rain Catcher Award

For immediate release. Contact: Media Relations at 512-463-5129

AUSTIN – (March 29, 2017) – The Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) announced today the recipients of its annual Texas Rain Catcher Award, a rainwater harvesting competition and recognition program. Samuel Jackson, Inc. was recognized in the manufacturing category.

The TWDB's Texas Rain Catcher Award recognizes excellence in the application of rainwater harvesting systems in Texas, promotes rainwater harvesting technology, and educates the public on this important water-saving practice.

Samuel Jackson, Inc., which produces moist air generators used in the cotton ginning process, turned to rainwater harvesting following the 2011 drought when groundwater wells could not produce enough high quality water for the plant's operation. The company installed two 15,000-gallon fiberglass tanks in September 2015 to capture rainwater. The tanks reduced the company's dependence on groundwater, and soon after, the company installed four additional 15,000-gallon tanks. In total, the system has the capacity to capture 90,000 gallons of rainwater.

The system functions by collecting rain from the 48,000-square-foot roof surface of the industrial plant. It is then stored, filtered, and used onsite. The plant can sustain its operations on a total annual rainfall of only six inches. The system also allows the company to increase water use efficiency and sustainability by monitoring the tanks for water use trends.

The Texas Rain Catcher Award competition began in 2007 and is open to all individuals, companies, organizations, municipalities, and other local and state governmental entities in Texas. It recognizes entities and individuals in the rainwater harvesting community and beyond and establishes award recipients as dedicated water conservation leaders in Texas. Samuel Jackson, Inc. is one of five awardees being recognized statewide this year.

The TWDB is the state agency charged with collecting and disseminating water-related data, assisting with regional planning, and preparing the state water plan for the development of the state's water resources. The TWDB administers cost-effective financial assistance programs for the construction of water supply, wastewater treatment, flood control, and agricultural water conservation projects.