How air conditioning and tanks could save Jacob's Well

Last July, Jacob's Well in Wimberley was closed for swimmers as the lack of water made conditions unsafe.

WIMBERLEY, Texas (KXAN) -- Last July, Jacob's Well in Wimberley was closed for swimmers as the lack of water made conditions unsafe. Now, one group armed with an idea is trying to save enough water to save the well and the water supply.

Since 1996, David Baker with the Watershed Association has been protecting what has grown to nearly 500 acres around Jacob's Well.

"Our main mission is really protecting land so we can protect water... When the well is low, that means aquifer levels are low. So it's like an indicator of the health of our groundwater system," said Baker.

Last year alone, Jacob's Well missed out on 16 inches of rainfall that it would normally have. What that meant was the stream coming out of the well had no flow for 35 days, the longest period ever recorded.

But the community is trying to restore the well and save the water.

At nearby Blue Hole Primary School, the irrigation system outside and toilets inside are supplied by condensation from air conditioners and rain water.

"The part that you can't put a price tag on is is that community stewardship to protecting the resources of your area," said Allen Bruggman, Communications Director for Wimberley ISD.

With funding from The Watershed Association, Wimberley ISD purchased water tanks, specialized gutters, and water sanitizing equipment.

They adapted a thinking known as "One Water."

Baker explained, "'One Water' is the concept that water at every part of the water cycle, no matter whether that's rainwater, gray water, black water, storm water, all has value."

Through this process, Blue Hole Primary has been able to cut their water bill in half compared to similarly sized schools.

And now a brand new project is underway in downtown Wimberley.

The expansion of the Wimberley Village Library will use AC condensation and rain water to provide water to the toilets.

"We talked about it and we are aware of what happened at Blue Hole [Primary School] ….and we thought, why don't we do that too," said Aileen Edgington, Chairperson of the Wimberley Village Library.

She added, "I'm sure most of the contractors that we have hired had never heard such thing, and they were able to do it very easily."

Aside from praying for rain, more of these types of measures may actually make Jacobs Well… well.

Edgington said "things are growing in Wimberley and things are being built. So hopefully this can be the next example behind Blue Hole. You can do this. And it's it's worth doing."