Irrigation Association Becomes WaterSense Partner

SAN ANTONIO -- The Irrigation Association has been accepted as the first partner in the Environmental Protection Agency's WaterSense Program, the first step towards earning a WaterSense label for IA certification programs.

"The WaterSense label will help consumers recognize that certification makes a difference," said IA Executive Director Deborah Hamlin. "An IA certification demonstrates knowledge, skills and commitment to doing the job right and creating a reliable, efficient irrigation system."

Late last month WaterSense unveiled specifications for irrigation certification programs to earn the WaterSense label, which indicates a product or service meets EPA's criteria for efficiency and performance. The label is designed to make it easy for consumers to identify and select efficient products and services.

The IA is seeking the EPA label for its Certified Irrigation Designer, Certified Irrigation Contractor, Certified Landsacpe Irrigation Auditor and Certified Golf Course Irrigation Auditor programs.

When IA certification programs are approved by WaterSense, applicants who pass exams taken at the 27th International Irrigation Show in San Antonio Nov. 2-7 will be eligible to become WaterSense partners and use the WaterSense label as well as the IA certification label for the accepted programs.

Irrigation certification is the first product or service category for which specifications have been released. Specifications for irrigation products are in development. Smart irrigation controllers are likely to be among the first irrigation products eligible for the WaterSense lable because of groundwork laid by the IA Smart Water Application Technologies program, which established test protocols for evaluating weather-based and sensor-based smart controllers.