Contractor Referral Service
Thank you for your interest in responsible watering practices. Ewing’s Contractor Referral Service connects you
with local landscape and irrigation professionals who meet the following minimum requirements:
Certified Water Manager. Participants in the California Landscape Contractors Association’s (CLCA) Certified Water Manager program must pass a written test to become provisionally certified. Full certification status can be achieved by demonstrating proficiency at required levels for one year on actual landscape audit sites.
CLCA Membership. The California Landscape Contractors Association is a non-profit trade organization comprised of licensed landscape and landscape-related contractors whose mission is to serve and protect the interests of its members, promote professionalism and advance public awareness of the landscape industry.
Certified Landscape Irrigation Auditor (CLIA). The Certified Landscape Irrigation Auditor is involved in the analysis of landscape irrigation water use. Auditors collect site data, make maintenance recommendations and perform water audits. Through their analytical work at the site, these irrigation professionals develop irrigation base schedules. Participants must pass a written exam covering the principles and practices of auditing, agree to follow a specific Code of Ethics established by the Certification Board and submit two independently completed audits verified by an IA certified auditor in good standing.
SOLVE IRRIGATION PROBLEMS WITH WATER-EFFICIENT PRODUCTS
Ask your preferred landscape and irrigation contractor about water-saving technologies that will help maintain healthy, water-efficient landscapes. With the help and guidance of your professional irrigator, you can save water and reduce your water bill.
The water management technologies of today are far more advanced in their water-saving capabilities than in previous years. The following water-saving technologies can be used independently to offer incremental water savings or in combination with two or more technologies to maximize a system’s water-saving potential.
WATER-EFFICIENT SPRINKLERS
Efficient irrigation nozzles are easily adapted to existing systems. Rotator-style heads—like the MP Rotator—offer better distribution uniformity and can save up to 30 percent of overall water usage.
"SMART" CONTROLLERS
Choose from a variety of evapotranspiration-based controllers, otherwise known as "ET" or "smart" controllers, which gather and use information from local weather stations to recalculate and control run times automatically.
RAIN SENSORS
These simple devices are easy-to-install and will override a sprinkler clock to shut down an irrigation system when rain is detected.
LOW-VOLUME "DRIP" IRRIGATION
Drip irrigation systems apply water directly to the surface of the soil above the root zone of the plant(s), minimizing evaporation and maximizing the plants’ ability to directly absorb water—requiring less water overall.
SOIL MOISTURE SENSORS
Placed directly under the plants’ root zone, soil moisture sensors are among the most easily-applied water-saving technologies. These sensors communicate with an irrigation controller to shut down the irrigation system when sufficient moisture is detected in the soil.
FERTILIZER INJECTION SYSTEMS (FERTIGATION)
Traditional fertilizer programs require the use of “extra” water during the application process to ensure that the fertilizer penetrates the soil layer. During the process of fertigation, liquid fertilizer is directly injected into the irrigation system, making it easier for nutrients to infiltrate plant root zones and eliminating the need for watering above and beyond the irrigation system’s scheduled program run time.
PERMEABLE PAVERS
An environmentally-friendly alternative to concrete or asphalt surfaces, permeable pavers provide a surface that is strong enough to withstand heavy vehicles, yet allows rainwater to filter naturally down into the underlying soil.
RAINWATER HARVESTING
Complement your permeable paver surfaces with an underground rainwater harvesting system. Simple-to-install and perfect for residential and commercial applications, a rainwater harvesting system integrates easily into an existing landscape to capture and store water for reuse in the landscape. You may also combine an underground rainwater harvesting system with an above-ground pondless waterfall.
When contacting your preferred landscape and irrigation professional, be sure to ask about these and other water-efficient technologies to ensure the heath and vitality of your landscape.
