Meadows Center, Wimberley Village Library implement One Water Strategies in renovation

The planned 15,000-square-foot library expansion and 3.8-acre lot will be designed for both water conservation and water quality protection while serving as a community laboratory.

The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment at Texas State University and the Wimberley Village Library District Board of Trustees have teamed up to launch a new One Water project for the Wimberley Valley community.

With technical support from the Meadows Center, the planned 15,000-square-foot library expansion and 3.8-acre lot will be designed for both water conservation and water quality protection while serving as a community laboratory and educational resource for natural resource protection.

“The Wimberley Village Library community – trustees, staff, Friends and Foundation – welcomes and enthusiastically embraces this opportunity to put into practice the essential principles of the One Water approach to design and construction,” said Dell Hood, president of the board of trustees for the Wimberley Village Library District. “We look forward to providing a center for information and programs to further knowledge and understanding of the critical role of water resources in western Hays County.”

Plans to expand the library began due to the area’s growing population and the Wimberley community’s increasing use of its services. Since it was formed in 1976, the Wimberley Village Library has been enlarged three times as a result of an increasing demand for services. The planned expansion will provide more space for children and young adult programs and activities as well as provide additional no-cost meeting spaces for the community. The library also envisions adding to their educational focus with information on water conservation while demonstrating best practices.

“The Wimberley Valley is setting the pace for sustainability in the Texas Hill Country,” said Nick Dornak, director of Watershed Services for the Meadows Center. “We could not be more excited to partner with the Wimberley Village Library community on this keystone One Water project.”

One Water is a water planning and management approach that rethinks how water moves through and is used in a community; it brings stakeholders like developers, community leaders, urban planners, water managers and engineers together with the goal of utilizing water as thoughtfully and efficiently as possible. The library’s One Water renovation supports continued implementation of the Cypress Creek Watershed Protection Plan with best management practices anticipated to include rainwater harvesting, HVAC condensate collection and green stormwater infrastructure like permeable pavers, xeriscape and rain gardens.

“By adopting and implementing One Water for the Wimberley Library, we hope to set a new standard of care and water conservation for our community,” said Patrick Cox, Wimberley Village Library District trustee. “We are adopting the One Water strategic management approach for the library that emphasizes stewardship and is sustainable. In partnership with the Meadows Center, we will have a model One Water system for the education of everyone in our community and we are dedicated to protecting our water as our most vital natural resource – for us and for future generations.”