State law bars homeowners associations from stopping a member from harvesting rainwater. Counties cannot withhold a building permit because a home will use rainwater harvesting technology. The South Plains Underground Water Conservation District says the practice was incredibly common in this part of Texas when the first settlers arrived.
Most people use captured rain to irrigate crops and fields. It can also supply drinking water for a home. Setting up a system is easier than you might think.
The Texas Water Newsroom released tips on getting started, and everything begins with the roof. If yours is big enough and your gutters funnel water, you need just one more thing, a large barrel. Homes collecting rainwater need nothing bigger than a 50-gallon or 100-gallon barrel. Hardware stores sell food-grade plastic barrels, and adding a spigot is simple. The timing helps, too, since Lubbock has seen a surprising amount of moisture over the past few weeks.
Lubbock gets rain only occasionally. A barrel is all it takes to hold onto some of it.