A student who takes the course is recognized as a Qualified Water Efficiency Landscaper, which will be promoted by Santa Rosa and other Sonoma and Marin water agencies.

“We don’t want to certify people, but we will recognize they have gone through our class, they get to use the QWEL logo, and they get free marketing and free outreach,” said Dan Muelrath, conservation coordinator for the Santa Rosa Water Department.

Landscape irrigation is one of the largest uses of water during the dry months. Santa Rosa residents use 13 million gallons a day during the winter, jumping to 32 million gallons per day during the summer.

The courses were first started in 2004 as a cooperative effort by the Water Agency, Santa Rosa, landscape contractors and the California Landscape Contractors Association.

So far, 100 landscapers have taken the course.

The topics include weather, plants, irrigation systems, new technology, and how to calculate water savings and the financial returns.

The 18 hours of course work will be offered in English at Santa Rosa Junior College and the College of Marin in March. Classes in Spanish will be offered in February at the Buckeye Nursery in Petaluma and at Indian Valley College in Novato.

Information is available from Ali Davidson at the Water Agency, 707-547-1933.