More than 70 irrigation professionals participated in the Irrigation Association’s annual Technician Week, held March 11-14. This year’s event, conducted virtually Monday to Thursday, culminated in an in-person certification exam on March 15 at the IA headquarters in Fairfax, Virginia.
The week-long program included four courses for both beginners and intermediate professionals in the landscape irrigation industry. The courses were aimed at enhancing technicians’ understanding of irrigation components, electrical and hydraulic troubleshooting, and the basics of hydraulics and irrigation system installation and maintenance.
“Technician Week was a resounding success, showcasing irrigation and green industry businesses’ commitment to boosting expertise and know-how in the landscape irrigation field. It’s a testament of the IA’s dedication to equipping our workforce with the critical skills they need and backing irrigation professionals every step of the way,” says IA CEO Natasha Rankin, CAE, MBA. “Our expert instructors and enthusiastic attendees brought energy and passion, highlighting the real value of education and certification in irrigation. This success is a nod to the IA’s long-standing dedication to engaging and supporting irrigation professionals in exploring and furthering their career and professional advancement.”
The event started on March 11 with a course on “Irrigation Components for Residential/Small Commercial Systems,” led by Kris Loomis, CID, CLIA, of the Sonoma County Water Agency and Santa Rosa Junior College. The course provided an in-depth look into the components essential for residential and small commercial irrigation systems.
Following this, Rick Hall, CIC, CID, CLIA, from K-Rain Manufacturing, conducted the “Electrical Troubleshooting: Diagnosing Field Wiring Problems” course on the same day. This session focused on diagnosing field wiring problems and the proper use of volt-ohm meters.
On March 12 Christine Hawkins, CID, CLIA, of Hunter Industries, led the “Hydraulic Troubleshooting” course. This intermediate-level course covered troubleshooting, design, system upgrades and more, emphasizing the importance of hydraulics in landscape irrigation systems.
The final course, “Landscape Irrigation Technician,” was a two-part class held March 13-14, co-instructed by Scott Knowles, CGIA, CIC, CID, CLIA, of Wolf Creek Company, and John Raffiani, CIC, CIT, of Raffiani’s Automatic Sprinkler Service. The course covered the basics of hydraulics, irrigation system installation and maintenance.
The event concluded March 15 with in-person certification exams.
