Water Conservation Initiatives
- Painted Rain Barrel Project
- Imagine a Day Without Water
- Water Conservation Expo
- Water Utility Rain Barrel Sale
What is the Painted Rain Barrel Project?
To raise awareness for sustainable watering resources, the City of Georgetown’s Water Conservation team invites local artists to create art pieces out of rain barrels.
The barrels will be displayed around City facilities and local businesses downtown, before and during the South Main Arts Festival, which is held annually in October. All painted barrels will be available for community members to purchase via a silent auction that will run through the course of the Autumn Art Stroll and South Main Arts Festival in the fall.
See all the 2023 painted rain barrels and bid on your favorite today!
The Painted Rain Barrel Project supports water conservation education and outreach efforts and is a wonderful way to support local artists. The program started in 2022, and this page will be updated each year with new dates and information.
Painted Rain Barrel Artists
All artists and student artists are invited to submit up to three designs for consideration while submittals are being accepted. This submittal period changes every year but is generally in the August-September timeframe. There is no application fee. Proposals will be selected by the Georgetown Arts and Culture Board for consideration and presented to the Georgetown Water Conservation Team for final selection. For more information on submission guidelines please visit the Georgetown Arts & Culture request for artist proposals.
Painted Rain Barrel Host Businesses
Hosting a painted rain barrel is a great way for local businesses and facilities to help City of Georgetown’s Water Conservation team bring awareness to the effectiveness of rain barrels as a source of irrigation water. A beautifully painted rain barrel will be placed at your facility in the month of October along with informative materials related to water conservation and a QR code for folks to bid in the silent auction. If you are interested in hosting a Painted Rain Barrel, please contact conservationservices@georgetown.org.
Visit these host businesses to see the 2023 painted rain barrels:
- Grape Creek Winery – Graphic Flowers
- Hydrate – Water For All
- Daytripper – Mosaic
- Wag Heaven – Waves and Flowers
- Lark & Owl – Pointillism
- Convention and Visitors Bureau – Fall Wonderland
- Georgetown Public Library – Anime Compilation & Space Turtle
- Mesquite Creek – Water lilies
- Goodfolks – Majestic Trail
Bid on a Painted Rain Barrel
The painted rain barrel auction is open from Oct. 12-21, 2023. View all the barrels and bid on your favorite today! Bidding closes at 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 21. The winning bidders must pick up their painted rain barrel by 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 21.
Earnings from the Painted Rain Barrel auction will go to water conservation education and outreach efforts. Bidding on Painted Rain Barrels will begin after all barrels are completed. Check back here for updates and information.
Learn more about our water conservation rebates, including a rebate for rain barrels.
Anticipated 2023 Timeline
- End of Summer – Call for Artist entries opens.
- Early September – Georgetown Arts and Culture Board will recommend proposals for the Georgetown Water Conservation team to choose from.
- Mid-September – Georgetown Water Conservation team will select 10 proposals to commission. Artists will be notified of the final selection. Artist contracts to be signed upon receipt of their prepped, blank barrel in mid-September.
- Early October – Barrels to be completed and dropped off.
- Oct. 19 – Autum Art Stroll
- Oct. 21 – South Main Arts Festival
Imagine a Day Without Water
How to Participate in Georgetown
Every year, the City of Georgetown joins other cities across the country in Imagine A Day Without Water‘s day of action. In 2023, the City will celebrate on Oct. 19 at our annual Autumn Art Stroll. Pick up your water conservation passport at check in, get a stamp at participating businesses around the Square, and return it to the Water Conservation booth, located at 817 S. Main St. Return your passport between 4 and 8 p.m. on Oct. 19, and you will be entered into a goodie bag giveaway contest.
Stop by these participating businesses to pick up your passport and free Imagine A Day Without Water swag:
- Grape Creek Winery
- Hydrate
- Daytripper
- Wag Heaven
- Lark & Owl
- Convention and Visitors Bureau
- Georgetown Public Library
- Mesquite Creek
- Goodfolks
About “Imagine a Day Without Water”
Many people don’t have to imagine a day without water because they already live it.
Water contamination or shortages leave millions of people every day without water to drink, prepare meals, bathe their children, wash their hands, flush the toilet, or do laundry. Firefighters can’t put out fires, and farmers cannot water their crops. Hospitals would close without water.
This annual, nationwide event encourages people to learn more about our water systems and what we can do to help improve access to adequate drinking water.
Value of Water Fast Facts
The average American uses 100 gallons of water daily.
It takes 1,056 gallons of water to make 1 gallon of coffee.
That breaks down to:
- 1,014 gallons for crop production
- 10 gallons for beverage production
- 32 gallons for packaging production
It takes 296 gallons of water to make 1 gallon of beer.
That breaks down to:
- 251 gallons for crop production
- 32 gallons for beverage production
- 13 gallons for packaging production
It takes 872 gallons of water to make 1 gallon of wine.
That breaks down to:
- 610 gallons for crop production
- 140 gallons for beverage production
- 122 gallons for packaging production
*Data taken from Waterfootprint.org & AWWA.org.
Get Involved
Protecting access to clean, safe water and an efficient wastewater system means you are a true conservationist.
Together, we can ensure clean, safe water is accessible to every community. Join the City of Georgetown water utility in being a part of the solution by becoming a Super Water Saver!
Water Conservation Expo
An RSVP is not required for this event. Everyone is welcome to come by anytime from 9am-1pm! RSVPs are simply a way for the Conservation team to estimate the size of the event for planning needs.
Join the City of Georgetown Water Conservation team at the Georgetown Public Library between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 24, 2023. Community members are invited to drop by anytime for this come-and-go event to learn more about water conservation, helpful tips, and to meet local vendors and partners in water conservation.
Speakers include:
10 AM – Professor Soe Myint, Ph.D., Texas State University, Chief Conservation Officer, The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment, speaking on mitigating drought and heat extreme while conserving water.
11 AM – Kate Hajda, Texas A&M Extension Service, speaking on tree health during drought and freeze events.
Noon – Beth Erwin, Native Plant Society Wilco Chapter, speaking on drought-tolerant native plants in lawn settings.
Connect with experts and collect resources from the following vendor booths:
- Williamson County Chapter of the Native Plant Society of Texas
- Texas A&M AgriLife/ Williamson County Texas Master Gardeners Association
- Texas Water Development Board
- Sun City Water Matters Group
- Good Water Master Naturalists
- Brazos River Authority
- Round Rock, Texas – City Government
- The City of Leander, Texas
- City of Georgetown’s urban forester
- Georgetown Planning Department
- Georgetown Environmental Services Department
- Take Care of Texas
Water Utility Rain Barrel Sale
Georgetown Water Utility is excited to partner with Rainwater Solutions to provide residents a discount on 50-gallon rain barrels for a limited time, while supplies last.
With our special discount, you can purchase a rain barrel through Rainwater Solutions for just $78. These rain barrels are regularly priced at $149. You may also be eligible for a $25 conservation rebate through City of Georgetown Water Utility. That’s a potential savings of $96, not to mention the future savings on your water bill from utilizing harvested rainwater for irrigation.
This rain barrel sale will close on March 10, 2024. A Pickup event will be held 8 am-12 pm March 23, 2024, at the West Side Service Center, 5501 Williams Dr. Georgetown, Tx 78633. If you purchase a rain barrel you must be able to pick it up at the pickup event. You will receive an email reminder Wednesday, March 20th with more details and slot times for pickup during the event.
Included with each 50-gallon rain barrel:
- 6’ Overflow Hose
- Screen and Screen Ring
- 2 Releasable Zip ties
- Overflow Cap
- Plastic ¾” Ball Valve
Rainwater harvesting is a great way to augment water supply. Installing a rain barrel is a simple yet impactful step toward sustainable water conservation. By capturing and storing rainwater from rooftops, rain barrels serve as efficient reservoirs for irrigation and reduce the dependence on traditional water sources. This not only lowers water bills but also gives you an effective path to preserving our precious water resources for future generations.
Place your order for your rain barrel here https://www.rainwatersolutions.com/products/georgetown-utility-systems
