Coming off the drought of 2011, and with the uncertainty that there could be drought conditions once again this summer, water conservation is highly important -- and important right now.

Rain water harvesting is a common practice for many gardeners. Collecting rain water is as simple as creating a setup that will catch the rain streaming off your roof during a thunderstorms and funneling it, usually through a gutter, into a larger bucket. Once there, a faucet at the bottom of the barrel will allow you to dispense the water -- not suitable for drinking but great for watering plants and lawns.

The City of College Station is starting a process very similar to the average rain water harvesting system -- but on a much larger scale and by using water the city has already used once. They are reclaiming water.

Reclaimed water is water that undergoes a high level of treatment to remove bacteria and viruses from wastewater. After that, extensive testing is performed to assure water quality standards are met. From there, reclaimed water travels though a purple pipe to the destination and source of use specified for it.

Jennifer Nations, Water Resource Coordinator with College Station Utilities, says that out of the 6 million gallons of water processed each day and then dispensed into Carter Creek, nearly 500,000 gallons of that will be reclaimed and used to keep the grass at Veterans Park green. Green that the city won't have to pay out anymore since it is water that will already be used when residents flush the toilet, shower, do dishes or brush their teeth. That is also thousands of gallons of drinking water that will be saved from the cities water sources.

Best part of reclaimed water is that it is drought resistant -- because that water is already being used anyway for everyday, normal household events.

Water reuse is firmly established as a primary water conservation method throughout Texas and the southern U.S. because of its ability to conserve scarce drinking water supplies during peak summer demand periods.

Wednesday, May 2nd on News 3's 10 at 10, we'll look at how the drought of 2011 has forever changed the landscape of the Brazos Valley and check into how you can save distressed trees in your yard.