Alachua County, the St John’s Water Management District, and the Florida Nursery, Growers, and Landscape Association (FNGLA) are offering Florida Water Star Accredited Professional (FWS AP) training for the irrigation industry.
The free FWS AP training will be held at the UF/IFAS Alachua County Extension office (22712 W. Newberry Rd., Newberry) on Tuesday, February 28, 2023, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. (lunch is provided by Site One Landscape Supply). Continuing education credits are available for Landscape Architects, FNGLA Certified Professionals, and Florida Water Star Professionals. While this training is free, participants must
register online.
“Landscape irrigation is one of largest water uses in Alachua County,” said Alachua County Environmental Protection Department Water Resources Program Manager 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 to use is to reduce landscape irrigation and to ensure that irrigation systems are designed as efficiently as possible.”
All new irrigation systems installed in Alachua County have to go through a County approval process, including an application fee for plan review ($100 for residential and $150 for non-residential) and an inspection fee ($150 for residential and $200 for non-residential). Irrigation professionals who are an FWS AP (this training) or hold a State voluntary Irrigation License are eligible to self-inspect irrigation projects and have the inspection fee waived.
Alachua County recommends that anyone who installs or maintains irrigation systems in the county attend the training and become an FWS AP, not only to save money on the inspection fee, but also to be eligible to participate in upcoming grant-funded cost-share programs for irrigation retrofits, which often require professionals to be FWS AP.
For more information, contact Merry Mott, FNGLA, 407-295-7994 or
mmott@fngla.org.
