Rainwater Harvesting Grant Recipients

The Upper Trinity Groundwater Conservation District Board of Directors selected recipients for the annual 2026 Rainwater Harvesting Grant Program at their monthly board meeting on Thursday, June 11. 

This year’s recipients included the Central Community Volunteer Fire Department in Weatherford, the City of New Fairview, and Montague County Precinct 4 in Saint Jo. The sites will add an estimated 115,000 gallons of collective storage and have the capacity to catch an estimated 1,001,538 gallons of rainfall annually between the three locations. All three proposed projects this year will reduce groundwater consumption, collect crucial data on harvesting volume utilization, provide water volumes to local emergency services, and encourage community education on rainwater harvesting.

For cities, community groups, schools, and service districts interested in next year’s grants, the no-cost application period opens Oct. 1 and runs until Feb. 28. Contact jill@uppertrinitygcd.com for more information or visit uppertrinitygcd.com.

Rainwater harvesting is an excellent complement to any residential, commercial, agricultural, or livestock operation, and provides high quality water often at a fraction of the price of utility or groundwater. Catchment surfaces range from the size of a backyard shed to a show arena, and based on the anticipated usage, most systems can catch several hundred gallons of water with a single inch of rainfall.