College Station introduces irrigation rebate program

COLLEGE STATION, Texas (KBTX) — The City of College Station proclaimed the month of July to be “Smart Irrigation Month” at Thursday’s city council meeting.

“This is our drinking water that we’re irrigating. You know, all of the water that comes out of our hoses, it is drinking water and that’s the primary purpose for it,” explained Water Resource Coordinator Jennifer Nations.

According to Nations, she found a way to incentivize taxpayers to do their part in watching water use: Money back for homeowners who switch to a smart irrigation system.

“It’s 50% of the cost of the device or the sprinkler heads that you put in or something, up to $500,” she furthered.

However, it’s more than just a money-saving measure. The largest use of water in the College Station community during the summer comes from irrigation. As the city continues to grow, it becomes more critical to make the resource last by monitoring water consumption.

Broken down by the numbers, Nations detailed, “A single family home in the winter months might use around 5,000 gallons of water a month, maybe up to 7,000 gallons. A single irrigation system, once cycled, when it goes through all of the zones, can use that much in a cycle.”

While there are no immediate plans to issue a drought notice at the time of publishing, because of the recent rainfall the Brazos Valley has received, it’s still important to watch out for the heat.

“That really gives people a false sense of security, you know, I can get half-an-inch of rain one day, and the next day, the winds are high and the temperature’s high and that vegetation, that moisture is going to go away,” Brazos County Emergency Management Coordinator Jason Ware added.

Follow this link find the application for an irrigation rebate.

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