12 Days of Sustainable Reads: Day 8

The book Water: Yours, Mine and Ours is a treasure of a find we made back in 2013 at The Rainwater Revival, an annual event held in the often drought-stricken and water-challenged expanse of rolling terrain referred to as the Texas Hill Country. For those unfamiliar with such events, the very title may conjure up images of cloud seeding, rain dances, or prospectors wielding divining rods. In actuality, these events are described by the sponsoring Hill Country Alliance organization as “…part festival, part educational series, and always a celebration of the ease, sweet taste, and wisdom of harvesting rainwater.”

Published by the Cow Creek Groundwater Conservation District (CCGCD) and developed in conjunction with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), this little gem of book likewise celebrates the art and science of rainwater harvesting. Indeed, the Capture chapter is dedicated to the topic, and while not nearly as detailed as the Day 5 selection in our 12 Days of Sustainable Reads series—Rainwater Collection for the Mechanically Challenged—it is a worthy point of entry for those considering adopting rainwater capture for part or all of their household water needs.

The decidedly-Texas flavor of this 88-page book should not deter others around the world from adding it to their collections. Its sensible “Conserve, Capture, and Clean” approach to water management can have broad application, as it underscores the importance of our role as caretakers of this finite natural resource. The rest of the chapters—including Water in Nature, Our Impact on Water, A New Water Culture, and Conserve—all offer nuggets of knowledge that are likely transferrable to your locale and household.

If you are still not convinced this book should be in your sustainable reads collection, then we have one final suggestive nugget for you: It’s available as a free PDF download, a paperless, ultra-green companion suitable for consumption on your e-reader.

Where to get this book: PDF download from CCGCD.org

Cow Creek Groundwater Conservation District website

Tom Kolnowski

Tom Kolnowski is the Chief Content Officer & Founder of Digitized House Media, LLC, the publisher of Digitized House | Guide to the Connected Home. When he isn’t writing about smart home technology, sustainability, and high-performance architecture, you’ll find him exploring faraway destinations with his family.