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Draft Criteria for the Qualification of Certification Programs for Irrigation System
Installation and Maintenance Professionals under EPA's Water Efficiency Program
1.0 Scope and Objective
This specification establishes criteria for the qualification of certification programs for irrigation
system installation and maintenance practitioners under EPA's Water Efficiency Program. It
applies to irrigation professionals who install new irrigation systems and/or repair and maintain
existing irrigation systems. The purpose of the qualification is to identify programs that certify
irrigation system installation and maintenance practitioners with demonstrated ability to apply
water efficiency concepts in their practice. An irrigation practitioner who holds an EPA Water
Efficiency Program qualified certification should be capable of installing and maintaining
irrigation systems with water efficiency being a fundamental component of their practice.
2.0 Qualification Criteria
To be qualified under EPA's Water Efficiency Program, the certification program must meet the
following criteria:
2.1 Independent Oversight Committee
The certification process provided by an organization must be supervised by an
independent oversight committee. The oversight committee must be established by the
organization and be composed of at least three professionals who are recognized for their
expertise in the irrigation field. Full time employees of the organization must hold less
than half of the oversight committee positions. The committee must be able to exercise
independent judgment and oversight to assure the integrity of the certification process.
2.2 Experiential Requirement
The certification must require that the applicant have a minimum of at least three years of
demonstrated experience in the field of irrigation installation and maintenance. In addition,
the practitioner must provide evidence of a working understanding of all components (full
comprehension of all system parts and the ability to disassemble, repair, and assemble each
part). The oversight committee must have established the standard of proof for the
experiential requirements.
2.3 Exam Requirement
The certification must include a requirement for the successful completion of an exam or
series of exams. Testing procedures must be established or approved by the oversight
committee.
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2.3.1 Exam Content
The exam process should be structured so that passing practitioners must have
demonstrated proficient applied knowledge in the following subject areas:
• System design layout and equipment specifications particularly as they
pertain to distribution uniformity and system efficiency
• Soil/water/plant relationships
• Precipitation rates and irrigation scheduling
• Impact of site conditions on equipment choice
• Hydraulics and pumps
• Blueprint reading and interpretation
• Recent innovations and technology developments
Specific exam questions should be established or approved by the oversight
committee.
2.3.2 Exam Passing Score
The oversight committee should establish the passing score. The passing score on
an exam must provide an objective level of assurance that the concepts listed
above are understood and can be applied by the practitioner.
2.3.3 Quality Assurance/Quality Control
The examination process must include the following QA/QC elements:
• The technical content of exam questions should be established or
approved by, and periodically reviewed by the oversight committee to
ensure that the exam meets the requirements specified in Section 2.3.1.
In addition, an independent academic institute or professional testing
organization must review the exam questions to ensure that they
accurately test the subject material. The exam question review process
should be conducted at least once every two years, or more frequently
as determined by the oversight committee.
• Exams must be administered by an independent academic institute, a
professional testing organization, or an irrigation professional certified
in the subject matter.
• Exams must be graded by an independent academic institute,
professional testing organization, or a certified irrigation professional
not involved in the training or proctoring of the practitioner being
examined.
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• The security and integrity of the test questions and test processes must
be protected at all times.
2.4 Renewal Process
The certification must have a renewal process with a set periodicity.
2.4.1 Expiration
A certification must be renewed at least once every two years, or more frequently
as established by the oversight committee.
2.4.2 Maintained Proficiency
One aspect of the renewal process must require the submission of documentation
that the practitioner has maintained proficiency in the subject matter (e.g.
continuing education units). The oversight committee should establish valid
documentation requirements of maintained proficiency.
3.0 Application for Qualification
The organization seeking to qualify must submit an application to EPA's Water Efficiency
Program for review. Qualification will be granted upon the approval of an organization's
application by EPA's Water Efficiency Program staff. The application should document that the
organization's certification process meets the criteria listed in Section 2.0. The application must
include the following materials:
3.1 Letter of Intent
The letter of intent serves to introduce the organization's certification program and should
include a background section that describes their certification and reason for seeking
qualification under EPA's Water Efficiency Program. The letter should include a statement
attesting to the validity of information submitted, and be signed by the chairman of the
oversight committee responsible for the certification program and an officer of the
organization.
3.2 Identifying Information
Provide the following identifying information for this application: a) Title of certification,
b) Name and address of certifying organization, and c) Name, address, phone number, and
email address of point of contact with certifying organization.
3.3 Documentation of Independent Oversight Committee Responsibility
For the oversight committee identified in Section 2.1, provide a description of the role,
responsibility, and function of the oversight committee within the organization. The
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description should address the following topics: 1) How committee members are selected
or appointed, and 2) Committee member terms of service, such as duration of appointment
or nature of compensation, if any. If available, a copy of the organization's by-laws
pertaining to the oversight committee may be submitted as documentation.
3.4 Documentation of Independent Oversight Committee Composition
For the current oversight committee, provide each committee member's name, committee
position, professional affiliation, and a brief synopsis of irrigation expertise.
3.5 Documentation of the Certification Process
This portion of the application consists of documentation for both the experiential and
exam requirements.
3.5.1 Experiential Requirement
The organization must submit a description of the process they use to ensure the
experiential requirement listed in Section 2.2 is met as part of the certification
process.
3.5.2 Exam Content
The organization must submit a sample certification exam that has been
administered no more than 6 months prior to the application date. The sample
exam should be annotated to indicate how each subject, listed in Section 2.3.1, is
tested in a sufficient manner. This documentation should link exam questions
with the subject areas and demonstrate how each subject area was tested. The
exam may be claimed as confidential business information and if so, will be
safeguarded as such.
3.5.3 Exam Administration
Describe the process used to administer and grade the exam. Indicate what a
passing grade is.
3.5.4 Documentation for the Exam Material Review Process
Provide the name and address of the independent academic institution or
professional testing organization used to review exam material, and describe the
process used by that organization for the review.
3.6 Documentation of the Certification Renewal Process
The organization must submit a description of the certification renewal process, including
the documentation required for renewal.
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