IAPMO R&T Recognizes Center for Irrigation Technology as Laboratory for Testing of Weather-Based Irrigation Controllers

Ontario, Calif. — IAPMO R&T, North America’s premier third-party certification body for plumbing and mechanical products, has formally recognized the Center for Irrigation Technology (CIT) at California State University, Fresno, as a laboratory performing testing for third-party certification of weather-based irrigation controllers to the U.S. EPA’s WaterSense® consumer labeling program.

An independent research and testing facility, CIT plays a vital role in assisting designers, manufacturers and users of irrigation equipment in achieving the technological advances required for a growing, changing world. In this capacity, CIT made significant contributions toward the development of the WaterSense® specification for weather-based irrigation controllers, which use local weather data to tailor irrigation schedules to actual site conditions.

Manufacturers wishing to have their irrigation controllers identified as complying with the WaterSense® specification must have them certified as such by a qualified third-party certification body such as IAPMO R&T, which is accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) as a provider of certification services to WaterSense® specifications.

Last November, IAPMO R&T received approval to begin certifying these products to the U.S. EPA’s final specification for the WaterSense® consumer product-labeling program, the first outdoor product category eligible to earn the WaterSense® label. In April, IAPMO R&T became the first third-party certification body to certify a weather-based irrigation controller to the WaterSense® specification.

IAPMO R&T provides independent certification to prospective WaterSense-labeled models that meet EPA’s water-efficiency and performance criteria, “ensuring that they are able to meet the water needs of the plants without overwatering,” according to the EPA.

As a result of this laboratory recognition, IAPMO R&T can now accept test reports completed by CIT for weather-based irrigation controllers seeking certification to the WaterSense® specification. With an increasing number of jurisdictions now requiring WaterSense® certification, manufacturers wishing to distinguish their products from competitors can now obtain such certification through IAPMO R&T with testing performed by a recognized laboratory such as CIT.

“Manufacturers have relied on CIT’s independent, third-party testing for more than three decades,” said CIT Director David Zoldoske. “We are excited to be working with IAPMO to provide testing for the EPA’s WaterSense® product labeling.”

IAPMO R&T has been a licensed provider of WaterSense® certification since 2007, certifying the first high-efficiency toilet (HET) to the standard in April of that year. To date, IAPMO R&T has certified thousands of lavatory faucet, toilet, urinal and showerhead models to the WaterSense specifications. Products bearing the WaterSense label must not only save water, but also perform as well or better than conventional models on the market.

For more information on having products listed, contact Brenda Madonna (brenda.madonna@iapmort.org) at (877) 4-UPC-MARK, or for more information on the WaterSense® Specification for Weather-Based Irrigation Controllers, visit www.epa.gov/watersense/products/controltech.html.