Although the City of Round Rock is set for success with a strong plan for our future water supply, one of the simplest ways to ensure the City is prepared for future growth is to conserve the resources we already have.
For over 13 years, that’s been the main goal of Jessica Woods, the City’s Water Conservation Program Coordinator. Her job is to implement the City’s conservation programs, including rebates, irrigation evaluations, education programming and more.
Her work, in conjunction with the City’s ongoing commitment to conservation, is clearly making a difference. During the drought of 2011, the City of Round Rock’s water use topped out at a peak of 42 million gallons per day (MGD). So far this year, the City’s peak usage was 37.55 MGD, even despite the growth that has taken place over the last decade.
REMINDER: Stage I Drought Restrictions went into effect June 29, 2022. Outdoor watering is allowed before noon or after 7 p.m. on your designated watering days. Learn more
In the warmer months of summer, you can usually find Woods helping a City water customer with a lawn irrigation evaluation. Especially helpful for new homeowners, the visit includes showing you the location of your water meter and water shut-off, a walk-through of your sprinklers, minor landscape issues, providing a recommended watering schedule or any upgrades you might consider to save money on future water bills.
“I’m not trying to tell people to stop using water,” she says. “I love landscapes, I love flowers and I love nature. I want you to have a beautiful looking landscape — I just don’t want you to waste the water.”
Woods also helps oversee the City’s water conservation rebates program for City customers who purchase water-saving toilets, washing machines, irrigation upgrades or rainwater harvesting equipment.
Earlier this month, Woods represented the City’s water conservation program in accepting the national WaterSense Partner of the Year Award, which is sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), for the City’s strategic collaborations, education and outreach, and promoting WaterSense labeled products and programs through its rebates program.
A study led by Woods found that Round Rock water customers who installed WaterSense-labeled irrigation controllers saw an average reduction of 58 percent in water use. The City’s Better Bathroom program similarly resulted in savings of an estimated 2.9 million gallons of water in 2021 alone, based on incentives provided toward the installation of WaterSense-labeled toilets, showerheads and bathroom faucets.
These simple water conservation programs have made a massive impact — something Woods had always hoped she could do from the time she was a kid.
“I always knew I wanted to do something environmental and save the Earth. At one point, I thought picking up trash would be my dream job,” she said with a smile.
To learn more about the City’s water conservation program, including rebates and more, visit roundrocktexas.gov/waterconservation.
