Steps North Texas city has taken to save water

By WTOP Staff
August 5, 2014 | 3:30 PM

LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) — Wichita Falls in North Texas near the border with Oklahoma is dealing with a persistent drought that’s in its fourth year. The main lake for residential water use was just 22 percent full Friday. The city’s two reservoirs are on a trajectory to run dry by August 2016, according to the Texas Water Development Board. Here is a look at the steps the city has taken to conserve its dwindling water supply while providing water to 150,000 people in the Wichita Falls area:

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REUSING WASTEWATER

Texas gave the city approval for a wastewater reuse program that blends wastewater with water from the city’s two reservoirs — Lake Arrowhead and Lake Kickapoo. The wastewater comes from toilets, dish and clothes washers, and sinks, showers and baths and is treated with a four-step method. Big Spring, about 235 miles southwest of Wichita Falls, has a similar project. Others have been operating for years in Tucson, Arizona, parts of California and in other countries.

CLOUD SEEDING

Local governments in the area spent $300,000 on efforts to get more rainfall out of clouds. Cloud seeding is a process in which a meteorologist looks at the weather and determines if seeding clouds with silver iodide pellets would increase rainfall production. If clouds are right, an aircraft is sent up with flares fixed to its wings. When the flares are ignited, updrafts carry the silver iodide particles in the cloud. Wichita Falls saw only limited success with its effort and is no longer doing cloud seeding.

WATER RESTRICTIONS

In the spring, so little water remained in Lake Arrowhead and Lake Kickapoo that officials implemented severe residential and commercial restrictions on water use. Those restrictions remain in place. They prohibit commercial car washes on weekends, any outdoor watering and using city water to fill residential swimming pools. The city also has urged residents to conserve water as much as possible.

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Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
July 14, 2026 | 6:30 PM

Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers

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