This course explores the principles and practices of capturing and storing rainwater as a sustainable water source. Students will learn how to design and size rainwater catchment systems, including roof collection, conveyance, storage, and basic filtration. The class emphasizes both theory and practice: participants will first study the fundamentals of system design, then work collaboratively to install a functional rainwater catchment system on the Cuesta campus.


DATES: 1 Saturday. May 16, 2026.

TIME: 9:00am-5:00pm

FEE: $100

LOCATION: San Luis Obispo Campus 75 acres

INSTRUCTOR: Sara Sternberg

QUESTIONS: Contact Community Programs at (805) 546-3132

Class Schedule – Please Note:
Our class schedules may be subject to change. You can view the most current class status anytime on the Community Programs website. To stay up to date after registering, please monitor your email, as any changes will be sent to the email address we have on file.

Meet the instructor

Sara Sternberg

Sara Sternberg is a Restoration Hydrologist for Creek Lands Conservation and holds an M.S in Groundwater Hydrology from Cal Poly. She has a background working on holistic farms and livestock ranches in Northern California and owned and operated an on-site water reuse and low-water irrigation business.