This process will provide property owners and managers the information necessary to understand the options available to achieve compliance with the water mandate. The opportunity to concurrently address other landscape and irrigation design options can also be identified as a way to conserve additional water beyond the 20%, saving additional money, reduction of pollution through reduced maintenance, travel, equipment operations and yard waste and improve your properties aesthetics and value transitioning towards ‘regionally appropriate’ landscapes that Environs has been promoting since our inception 20 years ago.

We are actively contacting our colleagues in the design and development community to inform them of our collaboration initiative and how these services will benefit them, their clients and the region.

Please contact us for additional information on how the process works and how we can be of assistance.

Water is one of Southern California’s most precious resources, one which, in the past, had been assumed to be plentiful and without limitations. Today, we know this is not the case. Due to a prolonged period of drought in California and the southwestern United States, as well as rapid development in the region and below-average snow pack, water is being consumed from reservoirs and rivers faster than it can be replenished by nature, leaving the supply critically depleted.

Effective in spring of 2009, water providers will increase the current, voluntary 10% water restriction to a mandatory 20% reduction that will affect residences and businesses alike. In addition, the City of San Diego is currently reviewing a proposal to require a 5% reduction in inside water use, and a 30 to 40% reduction in exterior water use for residential property owners. In early 2010, the State of California will implement a new Water Use Ordinance that will place even greater restrictions on water use for all landscapes.

The message is clear: waste can no longer be tolerated. Landscapes that demand heavy water consumption must be addressed and poor irrigation practices corrected immediately. Designs must be sensitive to Southern California’s desert climate; the typical expansive lawn with trees and shrubs as accents can no longer be supported.

Environs has advocated and focused on the design and implementation of regionally-appropriate landscapes for many years, and has specialized in Mediterranean climates and plant materials for over 25 years. We have expertise in assessing and redesigning landscapes around existing components to create a new, water-sensitive landscape. We will evaluate your current design, identify established trees, shrubs and groundcover, and develop a plan for cost-effective renovation.

The selection and effective management of irrigation systems is also critical to successful water conservation. If irrigation systems are 10+ years old, retrofitting them with new, “smart” irrigation controllers and high efficiency irrigation heads that apply water as efficiently as possible will result in substantial water savings for the property owner. However, the proper configuration of these systems is crucial to successful water management and conservation.

Environs can evaluate your current irrigation system and show you how to most effectively manage your water in order to sustain your landscapes, as well as and comply with water use restrictions. Our team is committed to long-term success of a healthy, thriving landscape through regionally-appropriate design and irrigation management. We guarantee the success of our designs and installations.
About Environs

Established in 1989, Environs is an award-winning, landscape architecture studio, based in San Diego, California, whose designs have been featured in many publications.

The Environs team will address all aspects of a project, including site evaluation, design, implementation, and management with an extensive knowledge of the Southern Californian environment, regionally-appropriate plant materials, and the latest in irrigation and construction technologies. Our primary focus is to provide our clients with excellent service from project initiation to completion and beyond, and to ensure that the final product exceeds the client’s expectations.