How to Embrace WaterSmart Living

The “eGuide to a WaterSmart Lifestyle” covers a wide array of topics, including landscape design, water-efficient plants, outdoor rooms, finding and fixing leaks, healthy soil, smart buys on plumbing fixtures, landscape maintenance and drought survival for gardens. It offers everything from design ideas for creating themed planting zones to strategies for using “graywater” at homes and irrigating efficiently. Features will be added regularly to reflect innovations and other developments.

linkeGuide to a WaterSmart Lifestyle
WaterSmart Tips

Saving water is easier than you might think. A few simple changes can make a big difference – especially outdoors. More than half of residential water use is for landscape irrigation.  Find out how you can Stay WaterSmart.

WaterSmart Checkup

A WaterSmart Checkup is your free opportunity to receive site-specific water-saving recommendations. You’ll benefit from the perspective of our certified irrigation professionals. And you decide if and when to implement the suggestions.

homeowner guide watersmart landscaping guide cover
Homeowner’s WaterSmart Guide

This full-color, magazine-style guide  provides homeowners with a  variety of tools and ideas for starting and maintaining low-water-use yards. It covers everything from plant selection and placement to budgeting for landscape retrofits.

cover of the san diego sustainable landscapes guide
Sustainable Landscaping Guide

Photos, diagrams and checklists for following sustainable landscaping principles including: climate-appropriate plants, high-efficiency irrigation equipment, rainwater capture and detention features, and soil amendments to improve water efficiency.

WaterSmart Gallery

The Water Authority has curated pictures of plants and garden designs that are well-suited to a Mediterranean climate. Explore beautiful, water-efficient landscapes for ideas for back yards, front yards, hillsides, patios, planters and other outdoor living areas.

More Landscaping Resources

Landscape Makeover Videos