Wichita Falls’ harrowing experience with a five-year drought that began in 2010 could help other Texas communities through future water crises. Gov. Greg Abbott recently signed into law a measure that puts the state on the path to developing water resources through Direct Potable Reuse projects. Direct Potable Reuse (DPR) means processing effluent -- sewer -- water for immediate use as drinking water. When Wichita Falls hurried a DPR system into use during the drought, the city made headlines across the country as the city that drinks “potty water.” But it worked and now Wichita Falls can maintain a steady level of potable water into Lake Arrowhead, the primary water reservoir.