The Current
Edition: April 2026
The Current is the monthly newsletter of Innovative Water Solutions where we highlight the great stuff happening at our company and also bring you up-to-date with some of the current water news that could affect you. We hope you enjoy the newsletter!
Table of Contents
- Spring re-cap – IWS in the community
- Blog Post of the Month: Rain gardens in Iowa and Beyond
- FAQ Post of the Month: Stormwater Management and Water Conservation
- Residential Project of the Month: 40,000 gallon tank in Bertram
- Commercial Project of the Month: Park at Blackhawk
- Water News Article #1: Austin Breaks Ground on $1.5 Billion Wastewater Treatment Plant to meet Rapid Growth
- Water News Article #2: A Sacred Place Protected: Karst Canyon Opens to the Public
- Water News Article #3: Maybe it’s not Science Fiction: Solar Panels are causing Rainwater to Fall in one of the Driest Places on Earth
- Water Conservation Tip: Install a rain garden!
- Current Texas Drought Conditions
- Current Texas Water Calendar
- Video: Pilot Project is Desalinating Water in South Texas
- Service Tips
- “We forget that the water cycle and the life cycle are one.” — Jacques Cousteau
IWS in the Community
We love this time of year – April showers! With so much rain happening, we are getting lots of interest in our rainwater and stormwater management systems. We have been taking advantage of the cool weather to get out in the community, meeting folks face to face and talking our favorite topic… water conservation!
Walnut Creek Water Treatment Expansion Ribbon Cutting
Truly a generational project, the expansion of the Walnut Creek water treatment plant has been decades in the making. As a City of Austin water commissioner, Chris Maxwell-Gaines, our PE, got to preside over the ceremonial golden shovel and ribbon cutting. Mayor Watson gave his remarks, and took time to pose for a picture!
Rainwater Harvesting 101 Class
The Lost Pines Conservation District is doing a great job of promoting rainwater in Bastrop and Lee counties! We donated a 250 gallon rainwater harvesting tank as a door prize for their “Rainwater 101” class that we taught as a guest lecturer. After attending the class, attendees are eligible to receive $1.00 for every gallon of storage they install – a very generous rebate! If you want to install something even better than the picture on the left, check out our raincache kits!
STEAM Night
River Place Elementary’s annual STEAM event was a blast! An educational night where the kids learn about arts, science, math and engineering, the kids ran from table to table engaging in all kinds of fascinating topics. From doctors to beekeepers, the attendees were diverse and informed! We even got to meet our friend Dowser Dan from Austin Water, another water conservation rockstar.
City of Round Rock’s Parks & Rec Earth Day event
Despite mother nature coming out in full force with wind and rain during the Earth Day celebration last Saturday, the event was well attended by families planting trees and cleaning up the park. Educational topics ranged from our solar system to tree care from arborists and energy conservation. Many residents learned more about rainwater – hopefully implementing water conservation tools like rain cisterns at home soon!
Another upcoming community event you surely won’t want to miss is the American Rainwater Catchment Systems Association technical symposium in Brookshire, Texas this May 20-21 – register to attend today! Sponsorship and expo opportunities for the 2026 ARCSA International Technical Symposium are still available, but remaining spots are limited and filling quickly.
Blog Post of the Month
Rain Gardens in Iowa and Beyond
March, 2011 Charity Nebbe interviewed James Grizzard, one of our employees, about rainwater harvesting and rain gardens in Iowa on the Talk of Iowa show on Iowa Public Radio. James has a [...]
The Benefits of Rainwater Harvesting in an Urban Environment?
Blog Post Date
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FAQ Post of the Month
Stormwater Management and Water Conservation
July 21, 2011 Chris Maxwell-Gaines, P.E., was interviewed by Jon, Debrah, and Reed on the Shades of Green radio program on KOOP 91.7 FM community radio in Austin, TX. We discussed regional water [...]
Residential Project of the Month: A 40,000 gallon potable rainwater system
We built this Pioneer rainwater tank inside a barn outside of Bertram. This happy client will have plenty of water to use throughout the year, especially with all the rains we received this month- he is well on his way to filling the tank.
Commercial Project of the Month: The Park at Blackhawk Neighborhood
This community was experiencing persistent stormwater run-off at their mailboxes due to the grading of neighboring homes. We added some French drains, re-poured concrete on top and cored the existing curb to allow the water to exit from the French drain away from the mailboxes.
Water News You Can Use
Austin Breaks Ground on $1.5 Billion Wastewater Treatment Plant to meet Rapid Growth
Our PE Chris Maxwell Gaines, Water Commissioner to the City of Austin, participated in the ceremonial golden shovel on this generational project that will improve water quality in the Colorado River.
Karst Canyon is a critical aquifer recharge zone and endangered species habitat directly feeding the Trinity Aquifer, Jacob’s Well, and Cypress Creek – a cathedral of over 118 limestone caves that is now conserved in perpetuity.
Dark solar panels in a massive desert could influence clouds and rainfall.
More to Explore
Water Conservation Tip
With all the recent April rains, rain gardens are a great way to help the rain seep into your garden, making it available for use by your landscape for a longer period of time. Rain gardens are sunken garden beds: the change in elevation causes water to pool at the lowest part of your garden, keeping the area moist longer, so the roots get a good soaking! If you want help installing one, our team can visit with you for a free estimate!
Texas Drought Monitor
SOURCE: National Drought Mitigation Center (NDMC), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA).
Texas Water Calendar
Local Business of the Month
USA Insulation is another conservation focused company – focusing on energy conservation! Their proprietary aqueous solution of insulation fills cavities in your home’s drywall – helping you save energy on cooling and heating.
Service Tips
With summer on the way, and irrigation about to ramp up, it’s a good time to clean your pump’s pre-filter! The pre-filter prevents debris from getting to your rainwater system’s pump, which can affect performance and potentially damage the pump. If you need guidance, call us for assistance!
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