People working in sustainability often like to think of things in terms of systems and water is such system. It is often now suggested that Water Planning is best considered as one entire system, and the technique for thinking or planning this way is called a One Water Process. By considering all of the ways that water is managed or used in community (or watershed), a municipality can plan for how the whole system operates, seek specific outcomes, and protect vital wetlands. In this section you will learn about One Water Planning and how a municipality can protect important wetlands.

Effectively managing stormwater and preparing for flooding are some of the most important responsibilities of a municipality. A well managed stormwater systems can improve safety, prevent costly losses and beautify a community. But even well managed systems can fail and cause serious issues for a community, and climate change is making failures more frequent and costly, both in terms of damage and lives affected or lost. In this section you will learn best practices for sustainable stormwater infrastructure and how to reduce the negative impacts of flooding in a community.