Protect Water & Air

Water and air quality depend on systems designed to eliminate pollution from entering the environment. Adherence to this principle will assure that a landscape is not only eliminating new pollution, but can also remove existing toxins.

Landscapes designed for rainwater retention prevent pollution run-off, erosion damage and give healthy soils a chance to break down and filter pollutants.

Planted trees not only absorb air pollutants, but they also remove CO₂ from our atmosphere. Reducing fossil fuel consumption by maintenance equipment leads to cleaner air.

Designing for sustainability contributes to cleaner air and water:

• Use integrated pest management
• Prevent pest problems
• Identify and monitor pest and beneficial populations
• Educate others
• Control pest problems with physical and mechanical methods
• Control pest problems with biological controls
• Control pest problems with the least toxic pesticide as a last resort
• Eliminate high-input decorative lawns
• Minimize site disturbance
• Choose and maintain your materials, equipment and vehicles carefully
• Keep soil and organic matter where it belongs
• Minimize impervious surfaces
• Plant and protect trees
• Maintain and manage the irrigation system carefully
• Design a system to capture and treat water​

​Read more about Protect Water & Air​ (PDF).​​​​
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