Collecting rainwater
Rain barrel sale on April 6
 The City of Round Rock is now offering another rain barrel sale! Rain barrel distribution will be from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday, April 6, at Southwest Williamson County Regional Park, off FM 1431.Three sizes of barrels to be offered: Pre-purchase all the barrels now, as only a limited supply will be available on the day of the sale. Online orders for Ivy and Moby barrels ends March 31. Orders for the 100-gallon tank end on March 28. |
Although it seems to be occurring less frequently, take advantage of rain events as much as possible to conserve water. It's free and rainwater is always better for plants than treated tap water, mainly due to its nitrogen content.
Getting started
To begin harvesting rainwater, you can purchase rain barrels and tanks from these area retailers:
- Tank Town (Dripping Springs),
- Hwy 290 Supply (Dripping Springs),
- Timber Tanks (Dripping Springs), and
- EcoWise (Austin).
- Sometimes they are available at large-scale retailers like Lowes and The Home Depot.
Remember, rainwater harvesting components are tax-exempt.
Using rainwater
Use collected rainwater on gardens, potted plants, and beds or to refill ponds and birdbaths.
Avoid overwatering the yard. Remember, overwatering or watering turf to its saturation point does not leave space at the top of your soil to be able to take in rain. When a yard is watered each time to its saturation point, free, good rainwater will simply runoff into the street.
Resources
City rain barrels
When they are available, the City sells 55-gallon repurposed barrels (see picture at right) for use as rain barrels for $25 per barrel. They are available on a limited basis to City of Round Rock water customers.
Currently, we are out of stock. Information will be posted when they are once again available.
