AgriLife Extension Water Harvesting Workshop

Local residents gathered at the Potter County AgriLife Extension office on Saturday, March 12 to meet rainwater harvesting expert Billy Kniffen and learn about passive and active water collection and water issues facing the Texas Panhandle.  Rainwater harvesting, the accumulation and storage of rainwater for reuse, was once a method of survival for early Texas settlers.  As our population grows and our supply of freshwater dwindles, it is increasingly important to take full advantage of our annual rainfall.

In an informative and amusing presentation, Billy shared his personal experiences with rainwater harvesting.  When he and his wife decided to build their dream house in a remote location, they discovered that their property had no groundwater beneath it.  Not letting that deter them, they built their house and installed five 3,000 gallon water tanks to collect the rainwater that came off their 4,900 square foot roof.  Using the simple equation of 0.6 gallons of water per square foot of roof in a 1-inch rain, Billy estimated that they capture about 2,900 gallons of water for every inch of rain.  With their annual rainfall of about 25 inches, they collect roughly 72,500 gallons of water a year which is more than enough to sustain them.  Incredibly conscious of their water use, the Kniffens use only 35 gallons of water each per day compared to the average Texan’s water use of 167 gallons per day.



Billy Kniffen



Rainwater can easily be collected and used for landscaping.  In addition to reducing the demand on municipal water supply, it also saves money by reducing water bills.  Storage devices do not have to be elaborate and can range from recycled 55-gallon barrels to steel drums.  Billy even had pictures of horse troughs that had been converted into collection vessels. 

While there is flexibility on the container, there are some safety guidelines to follow.  First of all, the barrel should be secured to prevent tipping.  Secondly, window screens should cover all openings to prevent mosquitoes from entering and breeding.  Finally, the barrel should be clearly marked that the water is NOT safe to drink.  Many communities do rely on rainwater for drinking water; however, it is filtered and disinfected first.

The workshop culminated in a hands-on demonstration of how to build a rainwater harvesting barrel.  Boyd’s in Amarillo provided barrels for the participants and each person was able to take one home.  As Billy jokingly warns that rainwater harvesting is addicting, the barrels were constructed so that they could be easily connected to another barrel. 

If you are interested in learning more about rainwater harvesting, please visit the Texas AgriLife Extension Service’s website at http://rainwaterharvesting.tamu.edu/ or contact our office at 806-883-2501.