Most agree that water is a precious resource in Texas, as dry conditions have persisted across much of the state while the population continues to grow.

But in Denton, a disagreement has been brewing over how to encourage one method of water conservation.

City leaders are facing pressure from some who believe they should do more to support the use of rainwater-harvesting systems. The systems guide rainwater from rooftops into an underground tank for later use, typically landscape irrigation.

The Home Builders Association of Greater Dallas recently urged Denton officials to offer incentives, including rebates and reductions in water fees, to encourage installation of the systems.

But officials in the city’s water utilities department recommended against offering incentives, saying rainwater-harvesting systems wouldn’t be effective during dry summer months, when demand on the city’s water system is greatest, and that ratepayers shouldn’t be saddled with a program that benefits few users.

The recommendation came after city staff members offered — and later retracted — a 25 percent water-impact fee reduction requested by the Denton Affordable Housing Corp., a nonprofit developer that is installing the rainwater systems in its Nevada Court subdivision.

The city assesses the fee on new development to help offset its impact on the water system. The city originally intended to reduce the fee for Nevada Court and use the subdivision as a small pilot program, but reconsidered the decision over concerns the reduction wasn’t justified, officials said.

Jane Provo, executive director of the housing corporation, said she was disappointed by the change, since the rainwater systems represent a financial burden on houses that the corporation is trying to keep affordable.

The subdivision, which is under construction in eastern Denton, will include 14 homes designed to be environmentally friendly.

“We felt that Nevada Court would provide an excellent investigative tool — that here, in one small subdivision, would be 14 systems that would be an ideal location to start collecting data to find out how effective the systems are,” Provo said. “And after two years, the city could have good, on-the-ground, current data on which to more realistically base city policy.”

David Wachal, Denton’s water utilities coordinator, said the systems are useful for conserving water when it is plentiful, but not during drought conditions.

“Rebates and incentives were not included as a strategy in Denton’s current [water conservation] plan because the economics do not support them,” he said by e-mail to the Denton Record-Chronicle. “From a public infrastructure standpoint, the water treatment and distribution system still needs to be built to accommodate demands as if the RWH [rainwater harvesting] system did not exist, but revenue required to support this infrastructure is only generated part of the time.”

Local builder Dan Fette, construction manager for Nevada Court, said that by focusing on public infrastructure needs over water conservation, the city is “missing the boat.”

“That’s fine as a point of view,” he said of the city’s reasoning. “But, to me, the water that is saved is a far more important commodity than the pipes that transport that water.”

By employing rainwater-harvesting systems, planting native and drought-resistant vegetation and using other “green” methods, Fette said he expects to drastically reduce the amount of city water needed there for outdoor irrigation.

But the harvesting systems don’t come cheap; a typical system can cost $4,000, Fette said.

“That’s a big item, but it ends up with a remarkable reduction in water use,” he said. “And in coming years, that’s going to be a very big deal.”

Based on Denton’s current residential water rate of $2.60 per thousand gallons, users of rainwater systems would save about $65 per year on their water bills, according to city estimates. At that rate, it would take decades for users see a return on the investment, city officials said.

The city’s Public Utilities Board agreed Oct. 9 not to support reductions in water fees for rainwater-harvesting systems, a decision endorsed by the City Council’s environment committee Nov. 6.

The full council has not considered the issue.

Members of the council committee expressed interest in the city possibly offering some type of incentive, such as a rebate.

Council member Jack Thomson said he believed the rainwater systems would grow more practical in coming years, as the cost of water rises, and that the city should work now to encourage their use.

Wachal said city staff members still opposed rebates funded through the water department but that they would continue considering incentives in coming weeks during a review of building standards.

Fette said he hoped to see some incentives offered, so other builders would be encouraged to adopt environmentally friendly practices.

“We can build houses differently, but it costs to do that,” he said.

LOWELL BROWN can be reached at 940-566-6882. His e-mail address is lmbrown@dentonrc.com.