T he sky darkens in the middle of the day. That quiet feeling of dusk arrives several hours early. The air cools rapidly while a wind rises from the west. In the premature twilight, flashes and distant rumbles enter Hyde Park from above. The bottom falls out of the sky, rain pelts houses and earth and children dash for a splash in the nearest puddle. Some of us dread these outbursts. Others, usually gardeners, rejoice.

    Spring and summer thunderstorms come unexpectedly, and leave just as quickly. In their aftermath, the ground tries in vain to soak up that great, soft, chemical-free water from the sky. But regardless of what Mother Nature attempts, most of that precious resource from above courses over our roofs, down our gutters, across saturated yards and rapidly disappears into storm drains and eventually into either Waller Creek or Shoal Creek.

    A few days later as the ground dries, out come the sprinklers. On come the irrigation systems. Faucets throughout the neighborhood fill watering cans for houseplants. Water bills rise. Miles away, massive pumps work to maintain pressure and deliver drinking water throughout the system.

    During summer months, we all participate in this cycle to the tune of over 100 million gallons per day in addition to the 150 million gallons used indoors for personal consumption, flushing toilets and washing dishes, clothes and ourselves.

    While using much of this city-supplied water is necessary, it can easily be supplemented by designing and installing a simple way to capture the wonderful water from above ­ a rainwater collection system.

    "I love showing people how my system works, and encouraging them to set one up, too," says Mr. Merle Franke of 4102 Avenue C. "My plants and yard look great and I'm able to keep my water bills very low. And the city helped me pay for the system!" Merle's rainwater collection system will be one of the educational stops on this year's upcoming Homes Tour.

    An amazing amount of water can be captured in just one rain. For a home with only 1000 square feet of floor space, it's possible to capture over 600 gallons of water with just a one-inch rain. Not only is the captured water FREE, but the city will give homeowners up to $500 back for installing a system!"

    The city suggests one of two alternatives for those interested in rainwater harvesting. First, start small by getting two or more of the special 75-gallon rain barrels sold at cost by the City of Austin's Water Conservation Program. Or, jump right into a larger capacity tank and pump system fed by your home's gutters.

    Mark Wieland, Water Conservation Specialist for the City of Austin, will be the featured speaker at the June 6 meeting of the Hyde Park Neighborhood Association, 7:00pm at Hyde Park Methodist Church, 4000 Speedway. He has promised to bring plenty of information on rainwater harvesting systems, plus additional city programs. He can be reached at 974-3534.