Alachua County; the St John’s Water Management District; and the Florida Nursery, Growers, and Landscape Association are offering Florida Water Star (FWS) Accredited Professional training for the irrigation industry.
The free FWS Accredited Professional training class will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 29, 2022, at the UF/IFAS Alachua County Extension office (22712 W. Newberry Road, Newberry). Continuing education credits are available for Landscape Architects, FNGLA Certified Professionals, and Florida Water Star Professionals.
All new irrigation systems installed in Alachua County have to go through a County approval process, including an application fee ($50 for residential and $100 for non-residential) and an irrigation drawing. The inspection fee ($85 for residential and $170 for non-residential) is waived for irrigation professionals who are qualified to self-inspect through the State Irrigation License or Florida Water Star (FWS) Accredited Professional status.
“Landscape irrigation is one of largest water uses in Alachua County,” said Water Resources Program Manager with the Alachua County Environmental Protection Department Stacie Greco. “We all need to do our part to use less water every day. One of the best ways to make sure we have enough groundwater to replenish our springs and for future generations is to reduce landscape irrigation and to ensure that irrigation systems are designed as efficiently as possible.”