Strategies for Water-Efficient Sustainable Landscape Design

Understanding various strategies and design considerations for water conservation and water-efficient landscaping is a critical aspect of designing sustainable sites. Effective water conservation design focuses on reducing water waste, improving efficiency, and integrating sustainable practices into the built environment. Effective water conservation design focuses on:

• Reducing water waste, improving efficiency, and integrating sustainable practices into the built environment. 
• The need to manage water on-site to slow, filter, and encourage infiltration to return less polluted water to the water table rather than moving it along to waterways in a polluted state which contributes to species decline and habitat degradation.

Implementing thoughtful strategies helps you minimize water consumption without sacrificing functionality or aesthetics. 

Below are key terms that define various approaches to water conservation in design:

Non-potable water – Non-drinkable water used primarily for irrigation.

Wetlands – Areas of soil that can hold water for 20 or more days, filtering it in the process.

Hydric Soils – Soils that can sit wet. They typically comprise a wetland.

Floodplains – Areas at risk of flooding. Accounting for floodplains in site design is crucial for both liability concerns and to reduce the amount of runoff into the water source in case of a flood.

GIS – An acronym for geographical information systems, GIS files contain real-world data represented in the form of points, lines, or shapes that assist in your planning. Certain GIS files note wetlands and floodplains. → READ: The Benefits of GIS Workflows with Esri

Water Budget – A water budget provides a baseline for how much water you can use on a site. Generally, to achieve water balance, inflows to any water system must be equal to outflows plus change in storage during a time interval. Some municipalities provide a water budget, and for others the baseline isn’t provided — regardless, in areas where submitting a water budget isn’t required, it’s recommended to work towards LEED or SITES water budget guidelines anyway. 

For example, California provides a water budget as part of the Model Water Efficiency Landscape Ordinance (MWELO) which is required of proposed landscape projects in their state.

When considering water conservation for landscape design, using more water than is budgeted can cause the appointing party to disapprove your proposal, sending you back to the drawing board. Often, a water budget is given by the local municipality based on use patterns and benchmarks throughout the area.

Let's talk about some ways to reduce potable water use.

A simple principle, but one that deserves mention. A lot of water flows off rooftops during a rain event, and you can use this water for other site needs. You can collect this rainwater in a cistern or other receptacle.

You just need to check if the rooftops were treated with any chemicals that will harm plants if you irrigate with this runoff. Some roofs contain copper, which you don’t want to toxify the plants you’re working so hard to hydrate.

It’s simple to account for rooftop water runoff in the early design phase, too. You can quantify how much will be collected based on regional data and roof (or other catchment) surface areas, all of which can be appended to smart geometry in Vectorworks Landmark.

Do a surface drainage analysis and place a bioretention pond or rain garden at a low point where water will flow towards.

Water will collect in the bioretention pond after flowing down the slopes. This source of water hydrates the immediate area and allows you to run pipes to recirculate that water to areas of the site that need it. The bioretention pond also slows and treats onsite stormwater runoff.

Designing hydrozones allows you to group plants with similar watering needs together. That way, you can keep the amount of irrigation for each zone constant and ensure that your plants are getting the right amount of water. This ultimately saves water because you reduce the amount of overwatering that occurs.

In Vectorworks Landmark, you can use the intelligent Landscape Area tool to designate areas as hydrozones, the parameters of which can be managed within the Object Info palette (OIP).

Water-efficient landscape design reduces potable water use while supporting long-term site sustainability. Thoughtful plant selection, efficient irrigation, and smart stormwater management help improve water efficiency, leading to more resilient landscapes.

• Use native and drought-tolerant plants. Choose species suited to the local climate to reduce irrigation needs.
• Improve soil health. Apply compost and mulch to retain moisture and prevent runoff.
• Implement efficient irrigation. Drip systems and weather-based controllers apply water where and when it's needed.
• Reduce high-water-consuming turf areas. Replace traditional lawns with native grasses, ground covers, or permeable hardscapes.
• Capture and reuse rainwater. Design rain gardens, bioswales to slow runoff, and cisterns to store that runoff for irrigation.

Applying these water-efficient landscaping practices reduces water waste, supports plant health, and helps create landscapes that function well with less maintenance.

Water-efficient landscaping and sustainable site design is as much about reducing use of potable water as it is about maintaining a healthy level of water quality.

Native plants may be less water hungry due to being locally acclimated. They also require less chemical treatment or unnatural additives, which means less chemical runoff and better water quality.

Fertilizers help plants grow and are regarded as an easy way to achieve a blooming garden. Fertilizers contain harmful chemicals, though, and using too much pollutes your soil and can even harm plant growth. Instead of relying on fertilizer, consider testing your soil for the nutrients it offers and select plants that flourish with those nutrients.

The same principle applies with pesticides and fungicides. These chemicals pollute the irrigation system. Where possible, seek alternative means to achieve their effects.

As you approach each site, recognizing the existing vegetation as already-gained green infrastructure to slow down storm water, prime biomass for nutrifying the soils, and essential habitat for all of the ecological services will provide you with the incentive to keep as much of the vegetation as possible.

Erodible slopes are generally steeper slopes that water travels down quickly, capturing sediment and particles and transporting it into the waterway. Erodible slopes can be fixed by planting vegetation to stabilize these embankments, slowing stormwater runoff, and encouraging on-site infiltration to recharge the area’s water tables.

A bioswale is a vegetated swale designed to redirect water. Unlike a concrete swale, bioswales are made of plants, penetrable soils, and other elements that encourage water to seep into the earth instead of carrying particles into the waterway. Learn more about bioswales in this blog.

Permeable surfaces allow stormwater to either infiltrate the soil or collect for resue instead of running into local infrastructure. Permeable surfaces can include pavers, porous concrete or asphalt, or pedestal paving systems.

The depth of gravel underneath a permeable surface can change depending on how much water you want to collect before slowly draining into the soil — Hardscape objects in Vectorworks Landmark can define depths of each material, giving you the ability to make calculations and informed decisions.

Designing with water conservation in mind goes beyond meeting site requirements—it creates landscapes that are efficient, resilient, and built for long-term success. By selecting the right plants, managing irrigation wisely, and controlling runoff, you can reduce reliance on potable water without compromising beauty or functionality. Thoughtful planning leads to outdoor spaces that thrive with minimal input, protect natural resources, and contribute to a more sustainable future.

Vectorworks Landmark provides the tools to integrate water-efficient strategies directly into your workflow, from hydrozone planning to smart irrigation design. Explore how Vectorworks Landmark supports sustainable site design and helps bring your vision to life.