The Current

Edition: March 2024

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!

• “Blog Post of the Month” Project Spotlight: Plaza Town Homes of Avery Ranch
• “FAQ Post of the Month” What can harvested rainwater be used for?
• Residential Project of the Month: Belton, Texas Potable System
• Commercial Project of the Month: Sonora Bank, New Braunfels
• “Water News Article #1” Big city solution: Installing green stormwater infrastructure slows down, cleans up runoff
• “Water News Article #2” Water-Purifying Cup Makes Drinkable Water From Creeks and Streams
• “Water News Article #3” Just six years from now, Georgetown may not have enough water for everyone
• “Water Conservation Tip” Irrigation Routine Maintenance and Checks
• Current Texas Drought Conditions
• Current Texas Water Calendar
• “Video”: Austin implements stricter water guidelines for 2024
• Gutter Installation offered by Innovative Water Solutions

This 50,000 gallon system was installed in Belton, Texas for potable use.  Innovative Water Solutions also installed gutters and screens to prevent debris from entering the tank.

That’s a substantial investment in sustainability and resource management!

The client is taking proactive steps towards water conservation, especially necessary in regions prone to drought. This system includes advanced filtration and treatment processes to ensure the harvested rainwater meets potable standards, making it suitable for drinking, cooking, and other household uses. Not only does this initiative reduce strain on local water supplies, but it also provides the client with a reliable alternative water source, particularly during dry spells or water restrictions. In rural areas, often rainwater, or well water are the only options for homeowners. As wells and groundwater become more strained over time, investing in a rainwater harvesting system is a solid investment for current and future generations.

“Sonora Bank’s latest branch in New Braunfels, Texas features a secure interactive teller machine (ITM) that extends the features of a traditional ATM and allows customers an interactive way to pay loans and transfer funds. The branch is outfitted with oversized drive-thru lanes for large-sized trucks and a 24-hour, deposit-taking ATM located externally. Additional exterior features to include ChargePoint electric vehicle charging stations, which are free for both customers and non-customers, as well as a windmill and rainwater capture system, all of which support the Bank’s ongoing commitment to environmental efforts.”
Innovative Water Solutions is proud to have designed and installed the rainwater collection system that holds 20,000 gallons of water for irrigation use.

Not only has population growth and aging infrastructure put a strain on existing stormwater drainage systems in Texas, but climate change impacts have also made extreme one-day rainfall events more common.
Rapid urbanization’s increased impervious surfaces have sped-up how fast extreme rainfall runs off into rising waterways, prompting flooding.

How should local governments deal with these compounding challenges? Local governments are searching for solutions to meet these new challenges, according to experts. Green stormwater infrastructure, GSI, can be a major part of the solution, said researchers at the Texas Water Resources Institute, TWRI, in College Station.

Austin, Texas — A rash of storms in Texas in recent years — from Hurricane Harvey in 2017 to the deep freeze in 2021 — has put big chunks of the population in danger and left millions without electricity or water for long periods.

These calamities also served as motivation for a researcher at The University of Texas at Austin to refocus her work on innovations that can help communities respond to severe weather events. Her latest project is a mug-sized device that can quickly clean water using a small jolt of electricity to fish out bacterial cells. In lab experiments, the device was able to remove 99.997% of E. coli bacteria from 2- to 3-ounce samples taken from Waller Creek in Austin in approximately 20 minutes, with the capacity to do more.

“We are able to clean water using very little energy because we steer the bacterial cells with electric fields, and most bacterial cells are natural swimmers who propel themselves to electrodes and got captured alive,” said D. Emma Fan, an associate professor in the Cockrell School of Engineering’s Walker Department of Mechanical Engineering, who led the research published recently in ACS Nano.

Georgetown, the fastest growing city in the U.S. and home to more than 86,000 people, must find a new water source by 2030 in order to avoid supply shortages, according to a city report.

“If you do an open water system like a sprinkler, most of that water gets wasted. It really doesn’t water really well,” he said. “So I’ve had to use things more conscientious like drip systems and timers — particularly timers that are aware of what the environment is doing, so you aren’t watering in the middle of a rainstorm. That kind of thing.”

Still, Moore wonders if it’s enough. He’s concerned the city continues to be more reactive than proactive in its approach to water.

“Kind of a strange thing, you know, if we’re already restricted to watering on certain days of the week, and there’s more and more houses being built, but the capacity isn’t coming online very fast,” he said.

As we prepare for Spring, if you haven’t inspected your irrigation system recently, it’s crucial to do so.

Check for areas where water may be unnecessarily wasted, such as irrigation onto sidewalks or streets, or runoff from lawns into gutters. Especially in times of drought, such practices are unacceptable. Adjust your irrigation equipment to ensure water is directed only onto lawn or garden soil, minimizing waste and maximizing efficiency.

As Spring showers begin, kind in mind that your plants, gardens and grass are storing the rainwater in their roots.  Always test the soil prior to watering to avoid unnecessary water waste.

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

Experience the difference with gutter installation by Innovative Water Solutions. Our expert team offers tailored solutions designed to enhance your property’s water management efficiency.

Say goodbye to water runoff issues and hello to a seamless gutter system that effectively channels rainwater away from your home or building. With our innovative approach, we ensure optimal water collection and distribution, reducing erosion, protecting your foundation, and maximizing water conservation efforts.

Trust in our commitment to quality craftsmanship and sustainable solutions. Choose gutter installation with Innovative Water Solutions and transform the way you manage water on your property.

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