Irrigation water is a major component of residential water use.  In the United States a typical household will use approximately 260 gallons of water each day.  According to the U.S. Geological Survey, out of the 26 billion gallons of water consumed daily in the United States, 7.8 billion (about 30%) is devoted to outdoor use and the majority of this is utilized in the landscape.  It is estimated that a suburban lawn will consume 10,000 gallons of water each year above and beyond rainwater.

With world-wide water shortages and drought, increased water and energy costs and declining water quality, irrigating our landscapes more efficiently has become imperative (in the State of California 20% of the State’s electricity, 30% of the State’s natural gas and 88 million gallons of diesel fuel   go to the treatment and movement of water).

This course has been developed to increase your awareness of proper residential irrigation design and give you the tools necessary to develop a sprinkler system that is efficient, conserves water and reduces runoff – runoff that washes top soils, fertilizers and pesticides into lakes, rivers and streams.

This course will benefit anyone who designs, installs and irrigates the residential landscape, both homeowners and professional gardeners.  Part One will cover Sprinkler System Components –the individual parts that make up a system.  We will follow in Lesson 2 with gaining an understanding of Basic Hydraulics – what makes the system work.  In Lesson 3 we will examine Soil/Plant/Water Relationships.  Remember that the soil is where the water is stored for use by the plants and how water moves within the soil and is utilized by plants is at the heart of good design.  We’ll end Part One examining Plant and Irrigation Water Requirements.  Soil moisture must be maintained to provide a healthy environment for root growth.    Part Two will continue on with sprinkler system design and water management.  Throughout the lessons I will be providing web links and other resources so you can continue to increase your knowledge and confidence in this exciting subject!