Water Harvesting Certificate Course
This unique course is a deep dive into water harvesting with hands-on
opportunities to learn. Whether you are a novice or a professional, we will
be offering you opportunities to deepen your understanding of ecology, urban
planning and landscape design through the lens of water harvesting potential.
We know the value of hands-on learning, which is why we've structured this course to give you real experience installing several different types of rainwater and greywater systems. With more than 15 years of installation experience, CatchingH2O has learned what works—and what doesn't—and we'll share those practical lessons throughout the course. In addition to installation, you'll gain experience inspecting and maintaining existing systems so you can understand how they perform over time. Homework assignments will reinforce the course material and prepare you for the two-part certification assessment, which includes both a written exam and an on-site property evaluation with recommendations for a client's water harvesting opportunities.
Who will benefit from this course:
- Homeowners
- Plumbers
- General Contractors
- Landscape Contractors
- Landscape Architects
- Architects
- Educators
- Water Infrastructure Professionals
The course will cover:
- Basic Plumbing
- Design and Planning for Water Harvesting
- Water Budgeting
- Water Harvesting Earthworks
- Rainwater Tank Design and Installation
- Laundry Greywater Installation
- Shower and Whole House Greywater Installation
- Appropriate Plantings
- Legal Municipal Codes and Permitting
- Maintenance on Water Harvesting Systems
2026 Event Details
Tuition: The complete certificate program includes all workshops, course materials, hands-on training, a final assessment, and a complimentary CatchingH2O T-shirt.
Early Registration (through August 31): $1,050
Standard Registration (September 1–26): $1,250
Schedule:
Before the Class Begins: Once registered, you’ll receive a welcome packet with preparation materials, including the Plumbing 101 video, What Is Your Watershed? homework assignment, and assigned readings to complete before the first class.
Thursday, September 24: Online Introduction to Water Harvesting (5PM–7PM). Begin your water harvesting journey with an online introduction to the principles and systems of rainwater harvesting and laundry-to-landscape greywater harvesting. Location: Online.
Friday, September 25: Water Harvesting Principles & Site Tour (9AM–4PM). Build on the course foundations with a deeper exploration of water harvesting principles and rainwater earthworks. The day also includes an onsite tour of existing rainwater and greywater systems, where you'll learn basic maintenance practices, explore earthworks in action, and gain insight into how well-designed systems perform over time. Location: Valley Center, CA.
Saturday, September 26: Hands-On Laundry-to-Landscape Greywater Workshop & Watershed Hike (9AM–4PM). Learn how to design and install a laundry-to-landscape greywater system from start to finish. This hands-on workshop covers greywater code requirements, water budgeting, system design, best practices, parts and tools, appropriate soaps, and other key considerations for successful greywater systems. The day also includes an immersive watershed hike, where you'll explore how water moves through the landscape and discover how natural watershed processes inform resilient water harvesting design. Location: Vista, CA.
Sunday, September 27: Hands-On Rainwater Tank Installation Workshop (9AM–4PM). Learn how to design and install active rainwater harvesting systems from the ground up. This hands-on workshop covers system sizing, filtration strategies, components, tools, and key installation considerations. The principles and techniques you’ll learn can be applied to rain tanks of all sizes. Location: Vista, CA.
Thursday, October 1: Online Shower Greywater & Rainwater Earthworks (5PM–7PM). Explore the principles of passive shower greywater systems and rainwater harvesting earthworks. This online session introduces key design concepts, water movement through the landscape, and strategies for capturing, storing, and infiltrating water to build healthier, more resilient landscapes. Location: Online.
Friday, October 2: Online Advanced Water Harvesting Systems & Codes (8:30AM–12:30PM). Dive deeper into the technical aspects of water harvesting systems, including permitting and code requirements, advanced greywater applications with pumps, and advanced rainwater systems with pumped distribution. This session will build on foundational concepts and explore the design considerations needed for more complex installations. Location: Online.
Saturday, October 3: Hands-On Shower Greywater System Workshop (9AM-4PM). Learn how to design and install a passive shower greywater system using gravity-fed principles. This hands-on workshop covers water budgeting, sizing and routing greywater lines, designing earthworks, selecting appropriate plants, and understanding the parts and tools needed for a successful installation. Location: Vista, CA.
Sunday, October 4: Hands-On Rain Garden Workshop (9AM-4PM). Learn how to design and install a rain garden that captures stormwater while creating a thriving, water-efficient landscape. This hands-on workshop includes the installation of a rain garden designed to also function as a laundry greywater basin, supporting a vibrant garden year-round. Topics include water budgeting, sizing earthworks for peak flows, rainwater distribution, permitting and codes, and advanced water harvesting applications. Location: Vista, CA.
Monday, October 5: Existing System Maintenance & Certification Assessment. Gain hands-on experience maintaining and evaluating established water harvesting systems. This session will focus on inspecting system performance, performing routine maintenance, troubleshooting common issues, and applying the skills learned throughout the course. The day will also include testing and assessment activities as part of the certification process. Location: Vista, CA.
Registration
Ready to deepen your understanding of water harvesting and gain the skills to design, install, and maintain resilient water systems? Join us for this hands-on certificate course and become part of the growing water resilience movement. Space is limited to ensure a meaningful, hands-on learning experience.
Water Harvesting Certificate Course
The complete certificate program includes all workshops, course materials, hands-on training, a final assessment, and a complimentary CatchingH2O T-shirt.
Early Registration: $1,050 (through August 31)
Standard Registration: $1,250 (September 1–26)
Register for the Certification Course
Individual Workshops
Not ready to commit to the full program? Build your skills by registering for individual workshops and choose the topics that best fit your interests and experience level.
Register for an Individual Workshop
Optional Add-Ons
Enhance your learning experience with optional resources designed to support your continued growth in water harvesting.
- Books: Curated resources to continue exploring water harvesting, greywater systems, rainwater design, and regenerative landscape practices.
- Tools: Recommended tools and equipment to support hands-on installation, maintenance, and future water harvesting projects.
Benefits of Taking This Course
- Earn a Water Harvesting Certificate upon successful completion of the course and final assessment
- Connect with a network of like-minded professionals, businesses, and community members advancing water resilience in San Diego
- Explore recommended tools, books, and resources to support your continued learning and hands-on work
Reviews
Invaluable hands-on practice of installing and maintaining a variety of water management systems, from rainwater collection to greywater earthworks. Depth and breadth, with excellent feedback. Nice balance of direct instruction and modeling as well as room for independent practice. Very grateful for the opportunity to take part in this class!Read More
The course was more intensive than I thought, but I did like jumping in and immersing myself in the material. I feel I was really able to grasp the concepts, especially in the additional work days. The homework and test were really helpful to inspire me to go through the books and reading materials, and apply what I learned.Read More
I am so happy I signed-up for this course! Brook offers a fun, welcoming, and hands-on learning environment for her students. Through this course I became confident working with tools and systems that I did not have much experience with before. It feels empowering, and the community of people that you meet during the course is truly incredible! I recommend ...Read More
This course far exceeded my expectations which were already high given Brook's expertise. What I didn't expect is how confident I would feel by the end of the course to install greywater and rainwater systems on my own. I had expected I would understand all the options better but, No, this course gave me the education AND the hands-on experience ...Read More
The Water Harvesting Certification course was like no other and greatly exceeded any expectations I had. I didn't want the course to end. In class days are informative and give a foundation for hands on site work. Learning by doing and working with fellow students along side Brook and the other CatchingH2O Team was more than inspiring. We completed several ...Read More
This was a fantastic course! Brook is a passionate, inspiring teacher. I learned practical skills to be able to install water harvesting systems at my own house and gained a foundation of knowledge that I can keep building upon into the future. The class was fun and rewarding, I recommended it for anyone interested in building a more tangible connection ...Read More
Challenging and crazy fun! The opportunity to collaborate and implement strategies with this experimental, encouraging group was the perfect mix. We learned how to install laundry greywater systems, rainwater tanks and catchment systems, along with thought provoking passive earthwork experimentation. Brook exposed us to a broad range of catchment “problems”, along with creative solutions in a true “hands on” work ...Read More
I had been researching rainwater/greywater for a few years now but didn't understand it completely. The course was exactly what I needed to fill in the gaps and necessary details in order to plan, build, and maintain successful strategies for water harvesting. The hands-on nature of the course was excellent and working alongside Brook and the rest of the course ...Read More
This class was amazing! Brook is an awesome teacher and I left the course feeling like I could install these systems at my own house. I loved the hands on experience and felt it was crucial to learn all of this stuff.Read More
Brook is one of the most inspiring people I've met. She's extremely knowledgable, a great teacher, and it's apparent how passionate she is about teaching others to harvest water (she also makes spending an entire day digging fun). I learned a ton in this course - it's the perfect combination of classroom learning (so you understand the theory and where ...Read More
