Irrigation Course Information

Holiday Closure Notice

Dear IIABC Community,

The IIABC office will be closed from December 22, 2023, to January 05, 2024, for the Christmas and New Year break. We will not be available to answer calls or emails during this time.

Any communications received during the closure will be addressed upon our return. Happy Holidays!

Best regards,
IIABC Staff and Board Members

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The IIABC offers a wide variety of irrigation technician, design and specialty courses. If you do not see the course you are looking for offered in our store, please email us and ask to be added to the waitlist for the course of your choice. Provide your full name, company name (if applicable), your phone number, approximate location and the name of the course(s) you want to be notified about. Our email address is iiabc@irrigationbc.com.

Regional technician courses (CIT-Level 1 and CIT-Level 2) are generally held annually from January - April prior to the start of the season. Other specialty courses may be offered in the fall prior to the IIABC Annual Convention and Tradeshow. At the Annual IIABC Convention and Tradeshow, generally held in late November each year, technician, design and specialty courses come together with an industry trade show and social events that make it a must-see experience!


IIABC Course Descriptions - Technician Courses


Certified Irrigation Technician - Level One


Course description:

This one-day course will teach the fundamentals of installing and maintaining an efficient irrigation system. Course

Content Includes:

  1. Irrigation System Anatomy (controllers, backflow, valves, sprinklers)
  2. Items Required (pipe & fittings)
  3. Reading a Plan
  4. Sprinkler Layout & Precipitation Rates
  5. Introduction to Hydraulics
  6. Pipe Connections—Cements and Primers
  7. Tool Knowledge—Industry-specific tools
  8. Excavating & Backfilling
  9. Winterization and Spring Start Up
  10. IIABC Expectations of a CIT

CIT –1 Exam Eligibility
A participant must be a member of the IIABC and pay the additional exam fee ($150 +GST).  Some experience or familiarity with irrigation systems is recommended. Re writes cost  ($100 +GST).
 

Certified Irrigation Technician - Level Two

Course description: 

This two-day course will teach the fundamentals of installing and maintaining efficient irrigation systems.

Course content includes:

  1. Principles of Hydraulics
  2. Backflow prevention fundamentals
  3. 
Irrigation system operational troubleshooting
  4. Electrical troubleshooting
  5. Controller troubleshooting
  6. Basic Quoting
  7. Scheduling an irrigation system based on soils, precipitation and general plant type

Pre-requisite for this course:  CIT – Level 1 Course

CIT - 2 Exam Eligibility registrant must be an IIABC Member or work for an IIABC Member company AND have completed CIT-1 certification.

Certified Irrigation Scheduler (CIS)

Course content includes:

  1. Students evaluate that system problems cause water waste.
  2. Students determine how uniformity affects irrigation scheduling.
  3. Students perform a proper catch can test.
  4. Students calculate Precipitation Rate & LHDU.
  5. Students create a simplified irrigation schedule.
  6. Students learn to correctly use the online scheduling calculator to create a schedule.


Pre-requisite and eligibility for the CIS exam: CIT-1, or CID or CLIA certification. A minimum of one-year industry experience and current IIABC membership.

Note: This course may be taken without pre-requisites, only the exam requires a pre-requisite.
 

Certified Irrigation Technician - Agriculture

Course content includes: 

  1. Agricultural Systems  and Soils, Crops & Climate
  2. Principles of Hydraulics
  3. Back flow Prevention
  4. System Maintenance on both sprinkler & drip systems
  5. Agriculture irrigation system operational troubleshooting
  6. Electrical and controller troubleshooting
  7. Learn how to schedule these systems based on soils, crops and climate data.

CIT-Ag Exam eligibility for those interested in Certification you must be a member of the IIABC to be eligible to write the CIT AG Exam. Experience in Agriculture Irrigation Systems is not necessary but preferred.   

Check our Course Calendar for upcoming courses.
 

IIABC Course Descriptions - Design Courses


Fundamentals of Irrigation Design

Course content includes: 
This excellent one-day course will cover the basics of turf and landscape irrigation design and application. Attendees will learn about irrigation system equipment and components; system hydraulics and friction losses; sprinkler selection, spacing and layout; precipitation and developing a basic irrigation schedule. 

No Pre-requisite required. 
 

Landscape Drip Design

Course content includes:
This one-day course will provide basic information for anyone designing and operating drip and microsystems for landscape.  Learn to design a system for single plants and bedding plants by calculating water requirements based on ET, soil & plant root zone storage capacity. Calculate application operating times & application rates. This course is also helpful for anyone planning to apply & write the CID Landscape Drip Design exam in future.  

Pre-requisite: A general knowledge of Irrigation Design is an asset.

There is no exam directly tied to this course.

Advanced Turf Irrigation Design

Course content includes:
This one-day workshop focuses on advanced irrigation design and management principles. Learn how to combine soils, plant water use and climatic data to establish system design parameters. Conduct detailed friction loss calculations. Determine water source supply capabilities. Determine system components & function. This irrigation design workshop aims to help designers become more proficient in irrigation designing. It is a good refresher for those preparing to write CID Turf-Residential or Commercial exams.  No CID Exam is directly tied to this course.

Pre-requisites: Fundamentals of Irrigation Design course or enrolled for a CID Exam & received textbook.  
 

IIABC Course Descriptions - Specialty Courses


 

Contractor Business Course

Course content includes:
Learn how to budget for profits. The course will provide instruction on how to prepare proper bids that include overhead costs, materials and labour. This one-day course covers the basics of business planning, accounting, estimating and evaluating the health of your business. This course is a prerequisite for the IIABC’s Certified Irrigation Contractor (CIC) Certification. 

Exam for Contractor Business Course Certificate:
The exam must be successfully passed to gain a certificate for this course. Minimum passing grade is 75%. EXAM may be written at the end of the course or completed as a take-home exam.

No Pre-requisite required.
 

Electrical Troubleshooting


Course content includes:
Learn how to properly use volt-ohm meters and how to diagnose wiring problems based on their readings. Diagnose field wiring problems without leaving the controller. Learn the most effective steps to sort out confusing electrical problems so you’ll rarely need to run new wire. Learn more advanced methods of electrical troubleshooting. Covers battery operated timers, D.C. solenoids and solar units, A.C. transformers and phasing. Discuss fault finding equipment, amp readings and proper ground techniques.

There is no exam directly tied to this course. 
 

Pump Course


Course content includes:
This one-day course will provide an overview of water sources and types of pumps typically used for irrigation. Learn to determine the total dynamic head used for selecting a pump and determine the pump that will work for your application. Installation methods for common pumps will also be covered.

Recommended: A good understanding of the installation and operation of an irrigation system.

There is no exam directly tied to this course.

Certified Irrigation Designer (CID) Exam

Date: TBD
Location: TBD
Time: Registration is at 8AM Exam is 8:30am-12:30PM

Exam Requirements:

Please arrive at the examination room 15 minutes early or around 8:15 am.

CID EXAM
Bring the following to the EXAM:

  • course textbook and other resource material (no computers)
  • calculator - (with good batteries) No cell phones are permitted
  • a set of coloured pencils (this is a must for the turf exams)
  • pencils and erasers
  • extra paper for calculations
  • compass
  • an engineer’s scale -   1” = 60 ft.
                                           1” = 50 ft.
                                           1” = 40 ft.
                                           1” = 30 ft.           All scales should be in 1/10th increments
                                           1” = 20 ft.
                                           1” = 10 ft.

The CID exams will have a maximum four-hour time limit to complete, with the exception of some rewrites that may have a shorter time limit.  The CID exams generally have 3 sections: True & False, Multiple Choice and design problem sets.
  

Frequently Asked Questions

When are the next CIT-1 and CIT-2 courses being held?
Course dates and locations are posted on the website as soon as they are planned. Each year at our annual convention in November and Jan-Mar in selected regions. Regional courses are not posted until after the annual Convention.

As an IIABC Member will I be able to take the CIT-1 course & CIT-2 course & exams prior to the season start?
YES, but you must first pass the CIT-Level 1 exam before you can write the CIT- Level 2 exam.

Can I just challenge a CIT-1 exam without taking the course?
No, the CIT course must be taken and exam then successfully passed to become IIABC CIT-1 Certified.

Can I challenge the Certified Irrigation Design Turf-Residential exam without taking any courses?
Yes, but it is highly recommended that a person take some irrigation design training which can be done where offered.   Agriculture design courses are offered if a waitlist of at least 10 people is reached.