QWEL Certification: Water-Efficient Landscape Design Explained

QWEL (Qualified Water Efficient Landscaper) certification trains professionals to create water-wise landscapes—critical in the arid West. These designers typically eliminate or drastically reduce turf grass.

QWEL Certification & Design

20-hour training + exam, started in California (2007), now multi-state. Certifies designers and installers in water-wise techniques.

What a QWEL Designer Does

• Performs irrigation audits for planting beds and turf
• Recommends water-saving alternatives and efficient equipment (spray heads, runoff/overspray adjustments)
• Evaluates landscape for water availability and use requirements
• Helps select optimal irrigation equipment, methods, materials
• Creates cost-effective irrigation designs with construction drawings, equipment specs, schedules
• Verifies installation correctness
• Trains homeowners on system use, scheduling, maintenance

QWEL designers bridge the gap between water conservation goals and practical, beautiful landscapes.