For Immediate Release

WIMBERLEY, TEXAS- July 10, 2023 – Using innovative One Water concepts to minimize water use and optimize onsite reuse, Wimberley Independent School District’s newest campus—Blue Hole Primary—was designed and constructed with strong support from the Watershed Association, Texas State’s Meadows Center for Water and the Environment, and the community.  One Water is an intentionally integrated approach to water that promotes the management of all water—drinking water, wastewater, stormwater, greywater—as a single resource.   In an area where water supplies are limited and drought-prone, Blue Hole Primary serves the growing Hill Country communities of Wimberley and Woodcreek with one of the most water efficient and cost-effective approaches ever envisioned for a school campus in Texas.

“As a parent of a Blue Hole Primary student and a professional involved in the One Water implementation, I am proud to have been part of this project.  We hope that documenting how Blue Hole Primary became a One Water School and analyzing the impact of its innovative design elements will pave an easier pathway for future One Water projects across the Hill Country,” explains Robin Gary, the Director of Watershed Protection and Conservation Science for the Watershed Association.

“Blue Hole Primary is an important proof of concept showing that together we can build smarter and conserve more.  Investing in, inspiring, and reinforcing the stewardship responsibility we all need to support to safeguard our water supplies, economy, and way of life is essential.  The Hill Country is a beautiful but fragile region,” said David Baker, Executive Director of the Watershed Association.

This case study documents the need for innovative water solutions, bond and investment decisions, incorporated design elements, construction, and first year performance of Blue Hole Primary to serve as a reference, inspiration, and guidance for future projects.

Press contact:  David Baker, davidbaker@wimberleywatershed.org

Useful links:

• • One Water Implementation: A Case Study of Blue Hole Primary School, Wimberley ISD, Hays County, Texas report
  • Virtual Tour of Blue Hole Primary’s One Water Elements by the 2021 Second Grade GT Class
  • One Water Resources
  • Press Release (pdf)

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About the Watershed Association

The Watershed Association is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization created in December 1996 to protect and preserve clean flowing water in Jacob’s Well, Cypress Creek and address the critical water issues in the region. The Association works to create a greater understanding of the many benefits that flow from a respectful relationship with the land and water. By bringing awareness to the relationship between the natural environment and people, the organization seeks to create partnerships and enlarge the impact of conservation, carrying it beyond the measure of acres and dollars to the measure of social and individual well-being.