Resident pitches 'Project Forward' to expand rainwater harvesting and reduce reliance on Canyon Lake/Trinity wells
Get AI-powered insights, summaries, and transcripts
Subscribe
Summary
A resident proposed a city‑supported program using MDD funding and local financing to help residents install rainwater‑harvesting systems for irrigation or potable uses; a local tank vendor described yields and tax exemptions for rainwater equipment.
At the July 3 public comment period, resident Steve Brown presented "Project Forward," a proposal for Fair Oaks Ranch to use Municipal Management District (MDD) funds and a financing plan to promote rainwater harvesting and local water security. Brown described ongoing drought conditions, Canyon Lake water allocation reductions and concerns about reliance on the Trinity Aquifer.
Brown said rainwater harvesting is an established practice and suggested a program that would offer proportional financing to assist homeowners with appropriately sized rainwater systems for landscape irrigation or potable use. He said an average 2,500 sq. ft. roof collects about 50,000 gallons in a normal year and that even capturing 20% would fill a typical swimming pool; in a severe drought year he said such a roof could still yield roughly 17,000 gallons (speaker estimates).
Local vendor Danny Aldrete (Tanks A Lot, Boerne) described products (polyethylene and metal tanks with liners), noted that tanks in Texas are exempt from sales tax and outlined system longevity and potable treatment options (UV, filtration). Aldrete and Brown asked the city to consider a program to help residents access systems that comply with MDD rules and could be scaled over time.