Let me do what news writers are forbidden from doing and tell you the answer to the headline right away… yes, harvesting rainwater in the entire state of Texas is indeed legal.

But here’s the part that you’ll have to scroll for: Why Texas supports collecting rainwater and how you can start your own rainwater harvesting setup right here in Lubbock.

Oh, and always keep an eye on the upcoming forecast for Lubbock and South Plains to stay ahead of the rain. Unless, of course, you want to collect said rain. If so, then listen up.

Texas Supports Rainwater Harvesting

The State of Texas actually has laws that favor citizens collecting rainwater. In fact, homeowners associations cannot prevent a member from harvesting rainwater, and counties cannot withhold a building permit due to the fact that they will implement rainwater harvesting technology.

According to the South Plains Underground Water Conservation District (SPUWCD), rainwater harvesting was incredibly common around these parts of Texas when the first settlers called it home.

Usually, captured rainwater is used for irrigating crops and fields, but it can also be used to collect drinking water for homes. Creating your own rainwater harvesting setup is actually easier than you’d think, and you don’t need to be on an episode of Survivor to figure it out.

DIY Rainwater Harvesting

Lubbock gets rain… occasionally. Actually, the past few weeks have seen a surprising amount of moisture, so why not try and collect it?

The Texas Water Newsroom released tips on getting started, and it all begins with your roof. As long as your roof is big enough and you have gutters that funnel water, the only other thing you’ll need is a large barrel to store the water in.

For homes collecting rainwater, nothing bigger than a 50-gallon or even 100-gallon barrel is needed. You can find food-grade plastic barrels at your closest hardware store, and adding a spigot is a piece of cake. Here’s a DIY video on installing spigots to barrels, if you don’t know how.

Quick tip: Make sure your barrel is NOT see-through. If sunlight can get inside, then you risk a buildup of algae, making the water undrinkable.

Finally, you can install the rain barrel where you think it would best fit, according to the dimensions of your house and, more importantly, your roof.

The final installation process as well as how you can maintain the entire system can be found on the Texas Water Newsroom website.

So, the next time you see the forecast calling for rain here in Lubbock, take advantage of the rare occurrence and harvest some of that rainwater for your garden, your yard, or even for some free hydration to avoid those crazy high water bills.

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