Learn how to mitigate flooding and drainage when extreme weather events such as storms and flooding occurs. This short course will help you understand what you can do to divert damaging water away from your property and other areas, covering topics like  fundamentals of water management, drainage and water proofing your yard, etc.

There are 7 Lessons in this course:

1. Scope and Nature of Water Management

• • What Needs to be Waterproofed in the Backyard?
  • Materials for Waterproofing
  • Why Drainage is Important
  • Reasons for Drainage
  • Lesson 1 Additional Reading
  • Review What You Have Been Learning

2. Water Movement in Soils

• • The Lateral Movement of Water
  • Review What You Have Been Learning

3. Understanding Capillary Action

• • Review What You Have Been Learning

4. Managing Water at the Source

• • Rainfall
  • Rainwater Harvesting
  • Stored Water – Dams, Reservoirs, Tanks
  • Diverting Storm Water
  • The Water Table
  • Leaks
  • Review What You Have Been Learning

5. Managing Surface Drainage

• • Types of Surface Drainage Systems
  • Surface Drainage
  • Lesson 5 Additional Reading
  • Additional Suggested Tasks
  • Review What You Have Been Learning

6. Managing Sub-surface Drainage

• • Improving Soil Drainage
  • First decision: subsurface or surface drainage?
  • Types of Subsurface Drains
  • The Water Outlet
  • Gradients
  • Layout of Drains
  • Laying an Agricultural (Agri) Drain
  • Distance Between Drainage Pipes
  • Depth of Drains
  • Maintenance
  • Subsurface Drainage
  • Lesson 6 Additional Reading
  • Review What You Have Been Learning

7. Storm Drainage

• • Storm Runoff
  • Inlets
  • Manholes
  • Swales
  • Storm Water Management
  • Intensity of Rainfall
  • Stormwater Runoff Estimations
  • Lesson 7 Additional Reading
  • Selecting the Size (Diameter) of Pipes
  • Selecting the Size and Shape of Ditches and Swales
  • Set Tasks
  • Review What You Have Been Learning
  • Final Assessment

Upon completing the Short Course very last lesson, you will be offered an automated test. This final assessment can be undertaken at any time of day or night; and any day of the week; and if you achieve an overall pass (60% or more); you will be able to obtain a “certificate of completion” with your name and completion date on it.

Note: these short courses are self-guided online courses and are not to be confused with tutor-supported online courses.