WaterSense Certification:
Texas Landscape Irrigation Auditor
What is WaterSense?
WaterSense® is a partnership program by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) designed to encourage water efficiency in the United States. The WaterSense label offers people a simple way to use less water by helping them easily identify and choose water-efficient products, new homes, and services.
WaterSense only labels irrigation professional certification programs that certify experienced irrigation design, installation/maintenance, and auditing professionals. Certified professionals must demonstrate their ability to assess critical soil/water/plant relationships and resulting impacts on irrigation system efficiency. They must complete continuing education requirements and renew their certification periodically to confirm their qualifications and demonstrate awareness of recent innovations and technology developments.
For more information about WaterSense and its labeling program, visit http://www.epa.gov/watersense
What is an Irrigation Audit?
An irrigation audit is a practice where an irrigation system is visually evaluated, analyzed for its potential to conserve water and performance in applying water; and site specific information is collected to determine the seasonal ET (evaportranspiration) based watering schedule of the landscape.
How do I become certified?
Starting January 2011, students who complete two day (16 hour) Landscape Irrigation Auditing & Mangement Short Course offered by Texas A&M AgrilLife Extension Service at the Texas A&M School of Irrigation and pass the certification exam are eligible for the Texas Certified Landscape Irrigation Auditor Program (TxCLIA) . Once you have completed the TxCLIA requirements and received your WaterSense Labeled Landscape Irrigation Auditing Certification, you will be added to WaterSense’s Directory of Certified Professionals at http://www.epa.gov/watersense/findapro/.
For more information about getting certified by a WaterSense labeled program, visit https://www.epa.gov/watersense/professional-certification.
After completing the Texas A&M Agrilife Extension Service requirements and received your WaterSense Labeled Texas Landscape Irrigation Auditing Certification, you will receive access to the WaterSense Partner website, including the WaterSense Professional Logo (“look for” logo below) and promotional materials to share with your clientele about your certification and the WaterSense Program.
More about Label Guidelines (PDF)
For more information about becoming a WaterSense Landscape Irrigation Professional Partner, visit https://www.epa.gov/watersense/learn-about-watersense-partnership.
How do I renew my certification?
To renew your WaterSense labeled TxCLIA certification, an Auditor shall within 2 years of the certificate being issued:
1. Complete any 8 Hour CEU Short Course offered by the Texas A&M Agrilife Extension Service at the Texas A&M School of Irrigation.
Approved Courses are available at https://irrigation.tamu.edu/short-courses/
2. Provide documentation of completing at least 1 Irrigation Audit from the last date of certification or renewal.
Irrigation Audit Documentation
Irrigators wishing to renew their WaterSense labeled Auditing Certification shall provide documentation of completing an irrigation audit (minimum 2 station/zones) conducted between the time the certification was issued and time of renewal. Documentation shall include but is not limited to:
- Contact information of Audit Site Contact
- Location of audit
- Executive Summary of procedures, field work and calculations conducted, including performance summary of irrigation system.
- Copy of Field Data collected, including Catch Can measurement or meter readings, site map with catch can layout (if catch cans were used) or site map identifying problems with irrigation system.
- Copy of Recommended Irrigation Schedule to be implemented