FALLS CHURCH, Va. - Licensing programs for irrigation contractors are moving forward in North Carolina and Rhode Island. Steps to complete legislation that will help irrigation contractors raise the profile of their industry through licensing have progressed in both states.
NEGOTIATIONS CONTINUE ON N.C. IRRIGATION CONTRACTOR LICENSE. The Landscape Contractor/Irrigation Contractor license is getting closer to reality as all parties involved have agreed on the terms of the bill to be submitted to the North Carolina legislature. The level where a job is large enough to have a licensed contractor was lowered from $3,500 to $1,500.
Irrigation Contractors also picked up one seat on the oversight board for a total of three. The Irrigation Association’s (IA) Certified Irrigation Contractor exam was identified as the exam of choice.
"The IA encourages state licensing and whenever possible encourages the use of the IA Certified Irrigation Contractor Program as a foundation for that," explained Laura Dorsey, IA director of marketing and communications.
"Licensing programs give the irrigation professional and the IA some input on reasonable regulations that would help to protect the industry, the consumer and water conservation issues through positive controls and measures," Dorsey continued. "The goal is to ensure that we have competent people practicing irrigation installations, maintenance and auditing of systems."
All contractors, both irrigation and landscape, who have practiced their profession for three years in North Carolina would be eligible for inclusion without examination. The bill now awaits action by the North Carolina legislature.
R.I. LEGISLATURE OFFERS CONTRACTOR LICENSING BILL. The Rhode Island legislature has a bill under consideration that would incorporate licensing of irrigation contractors into an existing plumbing statute. Senators John Celona and Catherine Graziano introduced the legislation.
Celona said irrigation contractors developed the legislation with the Rhode Island Department of Labor & Training and asked him to introduce the legislation. If the legislation passes, all current irrigation contractors will be grandfathered under the bill.
New applicants will be required to take a test administered by the department of labor of training.
In addition to fees, bonding requirements, the bill stipulates the following:
- Master irrigator must perform in the capacity of a journeyperson irrigator for not less than two years.
- Apprentice irrigator must work under the supervision of a master irrigation licensee or a licensed journeyperson irrigator for a period of at least one year.
- Journeyperson irrigator must have performed all phases of an irrigation project under the supervision of a master irrigation licensee for a period of not less than one year.
The entire bill text can be viewed at the following Web site: www.rilin.state.ri.us/Billtext/BillText01/SenateText01/S0805A.htm.
The above information is reprinted with permission from E-Times, the electronic newsletter of The Irrigation Association (IA), May 2001 - www.irrigation.org.
