Certified Irrigation Contractor (CIC) Program

The Irrigation Association Certification Board has established certification programs to achieve national recognition of irrigation professionals. Certification exams are designed to meet standards of validity, reliability, and difficulty. Certification indicates that the successful Irrigation Contractor applicant has:

• A minimum of three years of irrigation-related experience/education.
• Successfully passed a written examination covering general irrigation subjects and specialty areas.
• Agreed to follow a specific Code of Ethics established by the Certification Board.

Irrigation Contractors are specialty contractors whose principal contracting business is the execution of contracts and subcontracts to install, repair, and maintain irrigation systems in such a manner that projects can be executed in an acceptable way, meeting all specifications and requirements. They are involved in the layout, installation, maintenance and repair of irrigation systems used for landscape and turf irrigation.

Contractor Responsibilities
Irrigation Contractors will do layout, staking, excavation, boring, trenching, grading, back-filling, and limited design. They will install all piping and water delivery components. They will install the irrigation controls, including mechanical, hydraulic, and electrical systems. Contractors will troubleshoot and repair all of these components and systems.

Irrigation Contractors read site, contour, and grading plans, as well as the various "shop drawings" used in installation. They should have knowledge of the various soil conditions which affect the installation and operation of the irrigation system. They should be able to effectively choose and schedule the required installation equipment.

Irrigation Contractors work with all types and classifications of pipe. They should be able to perform the necessary cutting and joining of these different materials, understand the limitations of each piping system, and have knowledge of the required fittings and components of the water delivery system, including backflow prevention components. They should understand basic hydraulics as applied to pumps, irrigation piping, sprinkler heads, water hammer, and backflow prevention principles.

Irrigation Contractors should have knowledge of the various types of control devices used in irrigation systems, including mechanically, hydraulically, and electrically controlled valves and irrigation controllers. They should have basic electrical knowledge needed for installation of electric motors and associated electronic control systems. They should have knowledge of the required licensing laws and codes in their respective states.

In addition, they should know the principles of good business practices, organization, accurate bookkeeping, and timely material and labor take-offs and bids. They should be able to organize and schedule projects. They should understand construction contracts, as well as their legal rights and obligations.

Certified Irrigation Designer (CID) Program

The Irrigation Association Certification Board has established certification programs to achieve national recognition of irrigation professionals. Certification exams are designed to meet standards of validity, reliability, and difficulty. Certification indicates that the successful Irrigation Designer applicant has:

• A minimum of three years of irrigation-related experience/education.
• Passed a series of three written examinations covering both general irrigation subjects and specialty areas.
• Agreed to follow a specific Code of Ethics established by the Certification Board.

Certified Irrigation Designers engage in the preparation of irrigation designs to meet the needs of a particular project, selecting the most effective irrigation equipment or materials for the application and utilizing the information in such a manner that efficient and cost-effective irrigation designs are produced which meet the watering requirements for the plant or crop material being irrigated. They engage in the preparation of irrigation plans, details and specifications, on-site observation of the installation when requested to ensure that design intent is fulfilled, and discussion with the end user regarding system use, particularly as it relates to scheduling and maintenance concerns.

The IA certifies Designers in six specialty categories:

Agriculture: Drip/Micro, Sprinkler, Surface
Landscape/Turf: Commercial, Golf Course, Residential

Designer Responsibilities

Design and construction documents prepared by Certified Irrigation Designers should reflect the specific project's needs and be based on water availability and use requirements and the selection of the most effective irrigation equipment, methods and materials for the application. In addition, a CID should have a thorough knowledge of all irrigation equipment including its selection, use, and restrictions, installation methods, and accurate cost estimating.

Certified Irrigation Designers should have working knowledge of general irrigation theory, including hydraulics, soil/water/plant relationships, plant water requirements, and the principles of electricity. They should have an understanding of related elements including grading and drainage, plant material characteristics, and site maintenance and use..

Certified Irrigation Designers should also be able to prepare efficient plans and comprehensive specifications that include construction details, equipment or materials and appropriate irrigation schedules that may be clearly understood by Certified Irrigation Contractors and Managers and other installation personnel. Plans and specifications should reflect the utilization of information in such a manner that efficient irrigation designs are produced.

Certified Golf Course Irrigation Auditor (CGIA) Program

Irrigation Association certification as a Golf Irrigation Auditor indicates that the successful applicant has:

• Participated in a required training course and passed a written exam covering the principles and practices of auditing.
• Agreed to follow a specific Code of Ethics established by the Certification Board.

These individuals are involved in gathering irrigation water-use data and testing golf irrigation systems. Auditors compile water records, perform water-use studies, measure irrigated sites, identify plant materials by general groups, determine irrigation water requirements, estimate potential dollar and water savings, plus rank sites by net benefits.

Golf Irrigation Auditor Responsibilities

CGIAs develop system testing strategies, check pressure and flow rates, and conduct water application distribution tests. They collect data to determine irrigation uniformity and efficiency. They take soil samples and determine soil types and root zone depths.

Golf Irrigation Auditors observe system operations, locate irrigation zones, prepare site audit maps and visually identify broken or misaligned equipment. They can also summarize data from field tests and may use this information to generate weekly irrigation base schedules. They may provide this information to Certified Landscape Irrigation Managers, Certified Irrigation Designers, or Golf Course Superintendents to make recommendations for changes.

Certified Landscape Irrigation Auditor

Irrigation Association certification as a Landscape Irrigation Auditor indicates that the successful applicant has:

• Participated in required training course and passed a written exam covering the principles and practices of auditing.
• Agreed to follow a specific Code of Ethics established by the Certification Board.

These individuals are involved in gathering irrigation water-use data and testing landscape irrigation systems. Auditors compile water records, perform water-use studies, measure irrigated sites, identify plant materials by general groups, determine irrigation water requirements, estimate potential dollar and water savings, plus rank sites by net benefits.

Landscape Irrigation Auditor Responsibilities

Landscape Irrigation Auditors develop system testing strategies, check pressure and flow rates, and conduct water application distribution tests. They collect data to determine irrigation uniformity and efficiency. They take soil samples and determine soil types and root zone depths.

Landscape Irrigation Auditors observe system operations, locate irrigation zones, prepare site audit maps and visually identify broken or misaligned equipment. They can also summarize data from field tests and may use this information to generate monthly irrigation base schedules. They may provide this information to Certified Landscape Irrigation Managers or Certified Irrigation Designers to make recommendations for changes.