Landscape Design with Water in Mind -
Alternative Water Sources

Instructor: Dave Phelps

We live in a Mediterranean climate that is becoming more extreme as climate change progresses. But we also have access to lots of the blue gold -- water. Changing the paradigm from drainage to infiltration and detention systems, and from scarcity to abundance, is where our industry is headed.

Arid areas around the world have shown us how to live comfortably during extended dry seasons. With current irrigation technologies and the right landscape systems, we can up our game here in California and gracefully live in landscapes in harmony with our changing climate.

Rather than having to resort to water restrictions or prohibitions on landscape irrigation, we have the tools to successfully transition our landscapes into the ecologically functioning, beautiful, and resilient spaces with the water we have.

Our landscapes are far too valuable to our societal health to just turn off the spigot. We have to put these skills and practices into use quickly to make the transition.

In the Alternate Water Sources course, landscape architect Dave Phelps will take you on a deep dive into the details of preparing our landscapes for the water available to us through:

• Water Conservation
• Stormwater Infiltration
• Rainwater Capture
• Greywater Re-Use
• Reclaimed Water Use
• Managing Well Water

Perfect your skills at estimating watershed potential, greywater requirements, maximizing site water infiltration, and reducing water lost to drainage. Triage older landscapes for the low-hanging fruit of water conservation with limited budgets.

Formulas, checklists, exercises, and design specifications in the course will help you raise the bar of your confidence and our industry in implementing these necessary practices in all the landscapes you interact with.

Pertinent verbiage and talking points to help promote better water resilience in our communities, as well as alignment and compliance to current codes and regulations, will help spread these skills and make a difference in our lives.

Hi, I'm Dave Phelps!

I've been in the landscape industry since the mid 1980s. I have degrees in Landscape Architecture and Horticulture, licenses in Landscape Architecture and Contracting, been certified as a Landscape Technician, a Bay-Friendly Commercial Sites Rater, an Arborist, a Water-Efficient Landscaper, an irrigation auditor, a Master Gardener ... you might say I have a gardening problem.

I've been at the forefront of organic gardening and regenerative landscaping practices for decades with my own landscape company, working with a large corporate landscape company, teaching landscape topics for various agencies, associations, and non-profits, consulting, and running my landscape architectural firm.

My landscape architectural business, Garden Enlightenment, specializes in WELO compliance and providing beautiful, functional, and ecologically responsible spaces people love to experience.

In my spare time, (surprise!) I enjoy spending my time gardening!

Course Curriculum

CEUs: APLD awarded 7.5 CEUs

Hours of Content: At least 7.5 hours

• WHY you should take this course
• WHY do we need greater landscape water resilience?
• Overview of alternative water sources

Landscape Water Triage

• Basic landscape water conservation

Rainwater / Stormwater

• Run-off, erosion, and drainage
• Watersheds and water sponges
• Stormwater moisture banks and Resources
• Interceptor trees
• Green roofs
• Rainwater capture components
• Rainwater capture storage
• Using rainwater
• Rainwater calculations & more Resources
• Rainwater exercise
• Simple rainwater capture example
• Infiltration & bioswales
• Bioretention
• Permeable surfaces 

Greywater in the Landscape

• Laundry to landscape & mulch basins
• Branched drain systems
• Greywater design guidelines
• Exercise: How many square feet of mulch basin?

Reclaimed water

Advocating & managing reclaimed water

Managing well water

Understanding groundwater & well components