Water School

Authorized by the state, the Brazos River Authority’s system operations permit allows the BRA to sell up to 705,000 acre-feet of water basin-wide from the 11 system reservoirs and the rivers within the watershed. The system permit allows the BRA to draw the water from any of the reservoirs and rivers included in the system allowing the BRA to utilize the sources with the largest storage of water at any specific time.

Wastewater is water that has been used in homes, industries, and businesses that has been in contact with human or industrial waste and cannot be reused or returned to the water cycle until it has been treated or cleaned.

A drought is generally considered to be a prolonged period of less-than-normal precipitation such that the lack of water causes below-average streamflow or lake levels, lowered soil moisture, crop damage, or economic losses.  Droughts are globally the second-most costly weather event behind hurricanes, according to National Geographic. In Texas, during the 2011 drought, an estimated $7.62 billion was lost by farmers and ranchers, according to Texas AgriLife. Not only are droughts one o...

Water conservation is the careful management and use of water to assure it provides the best long-term benefit to the public. Conservation is preservation of water from loss, damage or neglect. It includes processes that help provide long-term access to clean water by preventing unnecessary water usage and waste.Conservation can include preserving, controlling and developing water resources, both surface water and groundwater, and preventing water pollution. Water conservation is pract...

Groundwater is water found beneath the Earth’s surface that gradually seeped down by saturating soil or rock. This water is stored in underground crevices and in the pores of rocks and other materials beneath the surface.

A water well is an artificial hole dug to access groundwater from aquifers.