We recently installed a a 5,025 gallon underground rainwater cistern for a new home in Georgetown. Georgetown’s impervious cover rules required an offset and we met this need with an in-ground rainwater catchment system that the property can use for irrigation purposes! Instead of the rain running off the new roof and into the city’s stormwater system, it’s now being captured in an underground cistern and used to water newly installed sod for the lawn – a win-win!

Austin Wildlife Rescue was using 2,400 gallons of water ever day on laundry for their animal in-patients! We designed an unconventional graywater reuse system that slashes their water use by 80%, taking their washing water completely offline from the septic system. The washing machines now empty to an in-ground sump tank after passing through an industrial filter to remove lint. The water is then pumped back into a cistern which is filled 20% with city water to refresh the water supply with clean water, before being heated and ran back to the washing machines for another load. Once a week the tank empties via an irrigation timer to 10 tree bubblers near the tank; this allows the system to refresh itself and not use the same water continuously.

Rapid drop in groundwater levels lead district to declare exceptional drought for the second time in three years.

San Marcos city council voted no to rezoning of land to be used for a massive data center over concerns about it’s projected water usage.

The city of Houston is sinking at an alarming rate due to groundwater extraction.

Put in a graywater system to recycle your washing machine’s water on your plants! If you got excited about the commercial project of the month, why not have us install your own graywater system? “Laundry to Landscape” is a more conventional graywater system whereby a washing machine on an exterior facing wall can easily be re-routed from the sewer or septic system to be incorporated into your home’s irrigation. The washing machine drains to a sump tank, which is then pumped periodically to drip irrigation or tree bubblers, keeping your plants green with water that otherwise would have gone down the drain!

Keep in mind, these projects aren’t always cost-effective: if your washing machine is not on an exterior-facing wall, it can be cost-prohibitive to access and re-route the machine’s drain. You also need to make sure that you aren’t within the Edward’s Aquifer recharge Zone; the city of Austin does not allow graywater systems in this environmentally sensitive area. Use this map to see if your address is outside of the zone, and if it is, book a free consultation with us!

SOURCE: National Drought Mitigation Center (NDMC), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA).

The Big Clean Laundromat has 3 locations: Parmer, MLK & Round Rock! Their extra large washing machines save money, time, and water – you can wash 10 loads in 1! To find out more, visit their website.

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Let’s talk about data center and water usage!

If you have a “wet” rainwater system with collection pipes underground, you probably know by now that these need to be drained before major freeze events! With the chilly mornings and the onset of fall, we are reminded that frost events are in our future! If your rainwater collection system does not have a clean-out and drain installed, call us to install one! This simple valve makes winterizing your collection line a breeze. You can leave the drain slightly ajar so you never have to worry about draining your collection line in sudden cold snaps- the collection line will drain automatically at a slower rate outside of rain events.

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