History

Common sense tells us that rainwater collection probably dates back as far as human thirst. Rainwater collection systems were used in Jordan as early as 3000 B.C.; cisterns are mentioned several times in the Old Testament. In nineteenth century Texas, before we became dependent on large-scale public water systems, rainwater collection was a common practice. Rainwater filled a need when wells went dry or became contaminated, and in some areas was an agricultural necessity. As late as 1937, when a flood left the city of Austin’s water treatment plant defunct, citizens relied on rainwater from a 25,000 gallon cistern at the Smoot House, an historic property on West Sixth Street. 

Texans are now facing a worrisome combination of drought, dwindling aquifers, and population explosion (between 2000 and 2060, the population of Texas is expected to more than double, increasing from almost 21 million to about 46 million). More and more of us are becoming interested in rainwater collection, valuing the independence and the options rainwater can provide. Our handsome galvanized metal cisterns have been made for over seventy years in Texas, and have been produced in the San Marcos/Austin area since 2000. They provide a time-tested solution to one of our modern problems.