Seal of Approval

With water conservation issues at the forefront of industry concerns, many states and associations are urging contractors to participate in certification or licensing programs.

According to the Irrigation Association Web site, “as a certified irrigation specialist, contractors will develop a greater working knowledge of the profession and a greater sense of confidence that they’re doing the job right.”

States like New Jersey agree with the Irrigation Association and that’s why it has enacted legislation requiring contractors to participate in certification programs.

The main purpose of the certification was to promote water conservation, explained Bob Dopson, president, Middletown Sprinkler Co., Port Monmouth, N.J. Contractors in New Jersey are required by law to pass the state’s certification exam, which consists of 20 state-specific questions regarding plumbing and electrical codes.

“So many of our contractors, even if they know how to install systems, don’t know how to program them,” Dopson declared. “A large portion of the state’s certification test deals with scheduling so our contractors have a knowledge base of how to properly schedule irrigation.”

Although this law was passed in 1990, Dopson related that it took seven years to implement because of all the research that had to go into establishing the testing procedures and rules and regulations under which the state’s Landscape Irrigation Contractors Examining Board operates.  The board exists within the Department of Environmental Protection to oversee compliance with the law and the governor appoints its members. Dopson served as a member of that board for eight years.

New Jersey currently has about 525 certified contractors and even though the law has been officially in place for the past five years, Dopson related that there are many uncertified contractors in the state still installing irrigation systems.

“Our board receives complaints from consumers, other contractors, municipalities and the Department of Consumer Affairs about contractors who don’t have certification,” Dopson acknowledged. “Enforcement is a big responsibility of our board. We have agents who follow up on the complaints and we issue fines in accordance with the severity of the non-compliance.”

In fact, Dopson said the board met last week and that it fined seven contractors a total of $17,750. The board has the authority to fine $2,500 for a first offense and up to $5,000 for each subsequent offense.

“If there’s a contractor who has blatantly ignored the law and he’s in violation, the fines are higher,” Dopson advised. “We generally levy the fine based on the severity of the situation.”

Besides water conservation, the legislation was also implemented to protect consumers.

“In order to pass the state exam the contractor must have knowledge of the relationship between the soil, water and plants,” Dopson explained. “Under this law, if a certified contractor continually installs systems with problems, the consumer can file a complaint with the certification board.”

Other states, such as New York, Rhode Island and Texas, are working on similar laws modeled after New Jersey’s regulation. And while certification programs are offered through national associations like the Irrigation Association, Dopson doesn’t believe that there will be a national legislative effort focused on certification.

“I think it will remain a state issue just like any other regulated profession, such as lawyers, doctors, architects and engineers,” he maintained.

Visit the Irrigation Association online for more information on its certification programs.