Prairielands Groundwater Conservation District receives the Texas Water Development Board’s Texas Rain Catcher Award

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

AUSTIN – (October 5, 2022) – The Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) announced today the recipients of its annual Texas Rain Catcher Award, a rainwater harvesting competition and recognition program. Prairielands Groundwater Conservation District in Cleburne, Texas, was recognized in the governmental 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 critical water-saving practice.

Prairielands Groundwater Conservation District offsets the demands and potential environmental impacts of its new office facility by using the rooftop footprint to capture rainwater. The District installed two metal cisterns along with a rain garden and native plant beds that use the rainwater harvesting system for irrigation. Additionally, the District promotes rainwater harvesting with a robust education program to correspond with the onsite utilization. The District’s Water Education Trailer includes a rainwater harvesting model with a rainfall simulator, water collection calculator, and diorama of a traditional residential rainwater harvesting system.

Between the cisterns and rain garden, an average of 80,000 gallons of water is captured over the course of a year. The system has proven useful and cost effective by providing a dependable water source that allows the District to water efficiently through drip irrigation instead of relying on the public water supply.

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. Prairielands Groundwater Conservation District 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 water and flood planning, and preparing the state water and flood plans. The TWDB administers cost-effective financial assistance programs for the construction of water supply, wastewater treatment, flood control, and agricultural water conservation projects.