Who Should Take This Course
The Troubleshooting and Performance Testing course is essential for anyone responsible for managing urban irrigation systems on landscapes such as residential lawns, sports fields, parks, and commercial properties. The course will also benefit municipal and water utility personnel interested in developing water conservation programs, responsible for conducting irrigation system evaluations in response to high water bill complaints, or qualifying/approving retrofit programs. This course is approved by the TCEQ for 16 CEUs for Licensed Irrigators, Irrigation Technicians, and Irrigation Inspectors.

Course Description
In this two-day course, students learn how to improve the efficiency of landscape irrigation through auditing of irrigation systems and developing irrigation schedules that conserve water while promoting quality landscapes. The course covers the eight steps of auditing including site selection for prioritizing sites based on potential water savings, field work for measuring system performance and calculating irrigation schedules, and follow-up for adjusting schedules and producing audit reports. Topics including use of PET (potential evapotranspiration) for determining turf water requirements, the effects of soils and root zone on irrigation frequency, and calculating station runtimes based on water requirements, precipitation rate, and system efficiency. Students gain “hands-on” experience by performing two audits which include procedures for troubleshooting, conducting catch can tests, and identifying soil type and effective root depth. Registration includes a copy of the LIAM Training Manual and Version 1.0 of the Texas Landscape Irrigation Auditing and Scheduling Software. The software is available only to students who complete the LIAM course and is designed for computers with Windows operating systems.

What to Bring: Calculator, materials for taking notes, and shoes and attire for outdoor field work (including rain gear) While not necessary, students are welcome to bring laptop computers for use in this class.

Software
Registration and completion of course includes copies of the LIAM software and manual. The software is only available to students up on completion of the class and is not for sale.

Certification Exam
Students who complete the Texas LIAM short course are eligible to take the Texas Landscape Irrigation Auditor Certification Exam. Students who pass the exam will become Texas Certified Landscape Irrigation Auditors and will receive a certificate acknowledging this achievement and be listed in the directory of certified auditors published annually.

Who Should Take This Course
This course is designed for landscape professionals including contractors, licensed irrigators and managers of turf areas, but is useful for anyone interested in landscape water conservation or learning more about irrigation water management.

Course Description
This one-day course provides instruction on how to determine schedules for irrigation systems that conserve water while promoting quality landscapes. Instruction includes methods for determining precipitation rates of individual stations on automated sprinkler systems and use of potential evapotranspiration (PET) for calculating plant water requirements. Students learn how to use irrigation system testing to produce custom irrigation schedules.
The course is divided into three sections: water use and trends, irrigation system auditing, and irrigation scheduling. Instruction is provided on water use and supply issues in Texas, including long range projections and implications for the landscape irrigation industry. Next, the course introduces students to irrigation auditing. Students gain “hands-on” experience by performing an audit of an actual irrigation system, including audit activities of system troubleshooting, testing station precipitation rates and efficiency, and identification of soil type and effective root depth.
Students learn how to produce irrigation schedules that conserve water while promoting quality landscapes. Instruction is provided on calculation of precipitation rates for stations on automated sprinkler systems using manufacturers’ data and determining water requirements from historic and real-time potential evapotranspiration (PET) rates. The effects of soil type and rootzone depth are also discussed.
Students then produce an irrigation schedule for the system audited using the Texas Landscape Irrigation Scheduling Software (a copy of which is included in the registration fee). The software is only available to students who take this course and is designed for computers with Windows operating systems.

What to Bring: Calculator, shoes and outdoor attire for conducting the audit.

Course Outline (8 Hours of Instruction)
Water Issues and Trends in Texas
Introduction to Irrigation Auditing
Determining Precipitation Rates
Understanding Irrigation System Efficiency
The Relationship Between Plants, Soil and Water Requirements
Science-based Irrigation Scheduling
Use of the Texas Landscape Irrigation Scheduling Software
Use of the TexasET Network and Website for Real-time Irrigation Water Management.

Who Should Take This Course
The Landscape Water Budgeting course is essential for anyone who must develop water budgets for managing irrigation systems in urban landscapes such as residential lawns, sports fields, parks, commercial properties and golf courses. The class also targeted to persons needing more background on the principles of ET-based irrigation scheduling.

Course Description
Students learn how to perform water budgeting calculations for both small and large landscapes and properties. Topics include determining water requirements, scheduling concepts and proper zoning principles. While the course includes instruction on catch can type auditing, the emphasis is on other less time-intensive methods that can be applied to multiple sites. Students are also introduced to GIS-based tools for water balance applications operating systems.

What to Bring: Materials for taking notes. While not necessary, students are welcome to bring laptop computers for use in this class.

Course Description
This course will provide an overview of the principles involved in determining the number and location of separate zones in a properly designed irrigation system. Students will learn how to separate the irrigation system into zones based on available pressure and flow, plant water requirements, soil conditions and types of application devices. This course will cover existing laws and regulations pertaining to minimum standards for pressure, spacing and precipitation rate and review pressure loss and flow calculations through pipelines. Students will also learn three methods for determining precipitation rate including use of manufacturer’s specifications, the area and flow methods and by conducting catch can tests.

Course Description
This course provides an overview of drip irrigation in urban landscapes. Instruction is provided on the types of drip products available and how to evaluate their performance characteristics and quality. Other topics include the advantages and disadvantages of drip irrigation in landscape applications and product selection. Instruction is provided on design and management considerations for different plant materials and soils, as well as filtration and clogging control. Instruction is also provided on how to determine proper spacing of drip tubing and tapes and how to select system components based on manufacturers product specifications.

Students are highly encouraged to also take the course offered on Irrigation System Design and Hydraulics or a similar course before this one. Students should bring a calculator.

Course Outline (4 Hours of Instruction)
Advantages and Disadvantages of Drip
Overview of Drip in the Landscape
Drip Performance and Quality Ratings
Understanding Manufacturer’s Literature and Design Specifications
Filtration and Clogging Control
The 12-Step Method for Drip Irrigation System Design
Design Considerations for Turf, Trees and Shrubs

Course Description
This course provide a review of important concepts and procedures for the proper design of landscape sprinkler and drip irrigation systems, including static and dynamic pressure, friction losses in pipes and fittings, sizing of mainlines and laterals, and methods of calculating precipitation rates for irrigation scheduling. Instruction is provided on design adjustments for slopes, wind, and water hammer, as well as PVC pipe selection. Students should bring a calculator.

Course Outline (4 Hours of Instruction)
Static and Dynamic Pressure
Determining Available and Required Flows and Pressures
Friction Loss and Sizing of Mainlines and Laterals
Design Adjustments: Slopes and Wind
Water Hammer/Surge
Calculation of Precipitation Rates
PVC Terms, Pressure Ratings and Selection

Course Description
This course reviews important concepts and methods for the efficient design of landscape irrigation systems including proper head spacing and layout, and how to ensure correct pressure for adequate operation of heads. Topics include rules and regulations covering landscape irrigation systems including the requirements of the irrigation plan. Instruction is provided on how to produce an ET-based seasonal irrigation schedule as required by TCEQ rules, zoning principles and selection of plant materials, and design considerations for drip irrigation. Students are also introduced to the use of Computer-Aided Design (CAD) software.

Course Description
This course covers the basic science of electricity and how to safely wire and troubleshoot the electrical system supplying an irrigation system. Students are introduced to the principles describing how electricity and electrical circuits “work” and learn how to use these principles to safely troubleshoot electrical system problems.

Students also learn how to size wires and install systems for different environments according to the National Electric Code requirements. Other topics include electrical safety of installers and users, human response to electricity, personal protective equipment and their use, and OSHA requirements. Students should bring a calculator.

Course Outline (8 Hours of Instruction)
Basic Electricity, Terms and Relationships
Electrical Circuits Grounding and OSHA/GFCI Rules
Wire Sizing and Voltage Drop
Electricity and the Human Body
Safety and Preventing Shocks

Who Should Take This Course
The Irrigation CAD course is essential for anyone interested in managing irrigation systems on large urban landscapes such as residential lawns, sports fields, parks, commercial properties and golf courses. This course is approved by TCEQ for 8 CEUs for Licensed Irrigators, Irrigation Technicians and Irrigation Inspectors.

Course Description
This course covers the operation of automated weather stations and their application in promoting irrigation water conservation. Students will learn basic psychometric (or climatic) relationships that influence water demand, electronic terminology, and soil-water-plant relationships for proper irrigation water management. Topics include selection of sensors, data loggers, power supplies and peripheral equipment necessary for downloading and transmitting weather data. Instruction will cover guidelines for installing, calibrating and maintaining weather stations to ensure data quality control. Other topics will include use of weather stations and potential evapotranspiration (PET) networks for automated irrigation scheduling.

What to Bring: Materials for taking notes. While not necessary, students are welcome to bring laptop computers for use in this class.

Who Should Take This Course
The Smart Controllers course is essential for anyone responsible for designing or managing irrigation systems on urban landscapes such as residential lawns, sports fields, parks, commercial properties and golf courses. The course will also benefit municipalities and city water utility personnel, particularly those interested in developing urban water conservation programs.

Course Description
This course will provide instruction on weather and sensor-based irrigation controllers as well as irrigation scheduling concepts. Students will learn how ET-based controllers produce an irrigation schedule using different technologies. Students will have “hands-on” instruction on controller operation and set-up. The class will also cover smart controller bench testing protocols and related issues.

What to Bring: Students should bring a calculator and materials for taking notes. While not necessary, students are welcome to bring laptop computers for use in this class.

Who Should Take This Course
This course is essential for anyone responsible for designing or managing irrigation systems on urban landscapes such as residential lawns, sports fields, parks, commercial properties and golf courses. The course will also benefit municipalities and city water utility personnel, particularly those interested in developing urban water conservation programs.

Course Description
This course will provide instruction on renewable energy methods available to operate landscape irrigation systems. Energy costs are projected to rise in the future as fossil fuels are depleted. As a result, both the public and private sectors are turning towards renewable energy to provide power for the future. Solar and wind energy technologies are emerging in Texas and across the country as the two leading sources of renewable energy. The goal of this course is to teach students how to design and operate pumping systems that utilize wind and solar energy. Students will also learn how to determine peak irrigation water requirements, calculate irrigated area and determine water storage requirements.

What to Bring: Students should bring a calculator and materials for taking notes. While not necessary, students are welcome to bring laptop computers for use in this class.

Who Should Take This Course
The Troubleshooting and Performance Testing course is essential for anyone responsible for managing urban irrigation systems on landscapes such as residential lawns, sports fields, parks, and commercial properties. The course will also benefit municipal and water utility personnel interested in developing water conservation programs, responsible for conducting irrigation system evaluations in response to high water bill complaints, or qualifying/approving retrofit programs. This course is approved by TCEQ for 8 CEUs for Licensed Irrigators, Irrigation Technicians, and Irrigation Inspectors.

Course Description
This eight-hour course covers how to:

• Evaluate and document site conditions that influence the efficiency of landscape irrigation
• Troubleshoot irrigation system components for proper operation
• Perform routine maintenance and minor repair/adjustments of irrigation systems to improve performance
• Determine station precipitation rate
• Develop seasonal irrigation schedules that address site limitations, plant water needs and irrigation system performance.

The course includes classroom instructions, laboratory exercise and demonstrations, and hands-on experience in the field by troubleshooting and performance testing an actual irrigation system.

What To Bring: Students should bring a calculator and materials for taking notes. Dress appropriately for outdoor fieldwork (including rain gear). While not necessary, students are welcome to bring laptop computers for use in this class.

Who Should Take This Course
The Permitting of Alternative Water for Irrigation course is for irrigation professionals, professional engineers and site planners who are interested in the idea of using non-potable water sources for irrigation and want to know how to get a permit to use alternative water sources.

Course Description
This one-day, 8-hour course is designed for Licensed Irrigators and Professional Engineers who design, install, maintain and manage landscape irrigation systems utilizing reclaimed water originating from wastewater treatment facilities. Instruction will include:

• An overview of water reclamation in Texas including current and future project and specific issues pertaining to irrigation management
• Existing guidelines, laws and regulations that govern use of reclaimed water
• Source water quality and the effects of elevated constituent levels on plants and soils
• How to complete a site water balance that meets Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) application requirements

These topics will be taught in a classroom setting with lecture and problem set worksheets.

Course Description
This course provides an overview of the use of personal computers and software for irrigation system design. Students will receive hands-on experience using common irrigation design software to solve a number of landscape irrigation design problems. The purpose of the course is to acquaint students on the range and capabilities of computer aided design software packages. Instruction will take place in a computer lab at Texas A&M University. Enrollment is limited. Students should be familiar with personal computers using the Windows operating system. No experience in computer-aided design is required.

Who Should Take This Course
The Irrigation CAD course is essential for anyone responsible for designing or installing irrigation systems on urban landscapes such as residential lawns, sports fields, parks, commercial properties, and golf courses.

Course Description
This course will provide a review of the irrigation system design process and complete instruction on the use of CAD (computer aided design) software for irrigation system design. The features and capabilities of commercial irrigation computer aided design software will be presented. Students will gain a functional knowledge of CAD software, and be able to use the software to design an irrigation system for a typical, large residence. Topics of the class include:

• Use of the CAD software’s menu system
• Use of the sprinkler database for selecting and locating heads
• Completing and importing site drawings
• Assigning zones and performing hydraulic calculations
• Manual and automatic pipe sizing
• Producing material and cost estimates

This course is approved by TCEQ for 16 CEUs for Licensed Irrigators, Irrigation Technicians, and Irrigation Inspectors.

What To Bring: Students should bring materials for taking notes. While not necessary, students are welcome to bring laptop computers for use in this class.

Who Should Take This Course
The Advanced Irrigation CAD course is for Landscape Architects, Licensed Irrigators and others in the urban design industry who use computer aided design software on a daily basis and are looking to expand their knowledge and skills.

Course Description
This course is set up as a fast paced version of the 2 day Irrigation CAD workshop. Students will complete a residential drawing from start to finish. Students will be given more instruction on material take-offs, sprinkler palette assignments, and proper zoning techniques than in the original course.
Topics of the class include:

• Producing a Site Map and Design
• Working with a Sprinkler Database
• Designing an Irrigation System
• Hydraulics
• Finalizing Design and Plans
• Calculating Cost Estimates

It is required that students have taken the basic 2 day training previously or some other computer-aided design software class and have a working knowledge of RainCAD or DesignCAD packages.

What to Bring: Students should bring materials for taking notes. While not necessary, students are welcome to bring laptop computers for use in this class.

Course Description
This course presents general topics in the use of GPS (Global Positioning Systems) as it applies to Landscape Irrigation Practices. The course will cover such topics as general use of GPS and how GPS can be applied to landscape Irrigation Systems. The student will gain knowledge in general GPS use and site mapping. The eight hour course will take place in a computer classroom setting with lectures and class discussion including a section that will be taught in an outdoor setting.