Skip to Main content

Rainwater Stored at ASU for Future Irrigation

October 12, 2011

The weekend rains which brought three or more inches of rain to San Angelo also brought smiles to the faces of Angelo State University administrators as the runoff filled two holding tanks with more than 50,000 gallons of rainwater for later use.

John Russell, ASU’s director of facilities planning and construction, reported that both the 12,000-gallon tank adjacent to the renovated Center for Human Performance and the 40,000 underground tank adjacent to the new Plaza Verde residence hall both filled up with runoff from the rains.

“We will use that water for irrigation instead of having to purchase the water from the city,” Russell said. “As the drought continues to bring home to us all, water is a valuable commodity in West Texas, and we want to make the best possible use of it as stewards not only of the environment but also tax dollars.”

City water rates vary by the time of year, but at the summer rate of $3.22 per thousand gallons plus various fees for pumping and maintenance, ASU pays approximately $4.94 per thousand gallons from May through September. At that rate, the storage tanks will mean a savings of a minimum of $256 in water bills each time they re-fill. Over the 30-year life of the tanks, the savings can amount to thousands of dollars.

ASU President Joseph C. Rallo said, “Sustainability strategies, such as the water holding tanks, will be incorporated in all of our future construction projects. Ultimately, we want Angelo State to be a model of sustainability for all of West Texas.”

Not only is sustainability a good economic model, it is also a good recruiting strategy as more and more students factor green issues into their college choices, Rallo said. Several national college guides now provide green ratings in their assessments of universities.

“Sustainability just makes sense on a variety of levels,” Rallo said.