Rainwater Harvesting: Conserving Water at DHS

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Recommended: Water scarcity and water pollution

Decatur High School uses water for numerous tasks on a daily basis. Whether its watering schools lawns, washing animals at the Ag building, watering greenhouse plants, or cooking in the cafeteria and washing one’s hands; DHS could not function without the readily available supply of water. Unfortunately, water has become scarcer in Texas over the past few years, because of extreme drought conditions. Due to the limited supply of water in Wise County and surrounding areas, DHS should install a rainwater harvesting system.
People often take water for granted, assuming that it will always be readily available. They see endless pictures of beautiful lakes, rivers, and oceans that have an abundance of crystal clear water on websites such as Pinterest, Facebook, traveling sites and countless other internet sources, magazines, or books. True, many beguiling lakes and rivers can be found across the world with water so clear it takes one’s breath away; however, there are also many water supplies that have begun to dry up due to drought conditions and overuse of water. Most of the water on earth is also unsafe for human consumption.
Among the most drought-ridden states in the U.S., Texas faces many threats due to water shortages and dry conditions. Texas Governor Rick Perry recently renewed his emergency disaster proclamation stating that drought conditions pose a serious threat to numerous Texas counties, including Wise County. The original proclamation was made on July 5, 2011, and was most recently renewed on October 3, 2013 (Perry). Due to these severe conditions, counties across Texas have experienced water restrictions to preserve the limited water supply. According to a list posted by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, ...

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"Frequently Asked Questions." Innovative Water Technologies. Texas Water Development
Board, n.d. Web. 5 Nov. 2013.
"List of Texas PWSs Limiting Water Use to Avoid Shortages." Texas Commission on
Environmental Quality. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Nov. 2013.
"Old Civil Engineering Building - Georgia Tech." BRAE Rainwater Harvesting. N.p., n.d. Web.
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Perry, Rick. "Proclamation by the Governor of the State of Texas." Letter. 3 Oct. 2013. Texas
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"Rainwater Harvesting System Putnam Regional High School, Springfield, MA." Pioneer Valley
Planning Commission, n.d. Web. 6 Nov. 2013.

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