Alachua County Environmental Protection Department, the St Johns River 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 training webinar series is offered in three, two-hour sessions held on three consecutive weeks from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. on February 24, March 3, and March 10, 2021. While this training is free, participants must
register online by February 22.
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 the largest water uses in Alachua County. “We all need to do our part to use less water every day,” said Alachua County Environmental Protection Department Water Resources Program Manager Stacie Greco. “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.”
Continuing education credits are available for Landscape Architects, FNGLA Certified Professionals, and Florida Water Star Accredited Professionals.
For more information, contact Deirdre Irwin with the St. Johns River Water Management District at
dirwin@sjrwmd.com.