FAQs
Is there a charge for registering my performance site?
When you passed the exam and complete the certification requirements, you are certified from the date you took the exam. If you are compliant with the program requirements (keeping your water use meter readings updated monthly, remaining within your water budget and being within your ETo) you will receive a renewal invoice each year. The current certification renewal schedule is posted here (PDF).
What if I fail to pay the annual fees?
Your account will become inactive and your CLCA Water Manager Certification will become immediately invalid.
What if I am a city or water agency employee and I want to participate in the Performance Program?
A water agency bundled rate is available.
What if I need technical support with registering, entering meter readings or editing information on my site?
Contact CLCA HQ by email or by phone at (916) 830-2780.
Is photo submission on the performance website mandatory?
No, but it is recommended. Having a photo submitted with your site is helpful in determining whether a site’s beginning meter reading is accurate.
How long after I register my site will I receive a water budget?
Just takes two minutes on our Performance Program Budgeting Website (clcaengine.com).
How often do I need to enter my performance site meter readings?
Meter readings must be made on a monthly basis and must be kept up to date as part of achieving certification and maintaining current certification.
How do I achieve certification?
A certified water manager must have: passed the written test, submitted an irrigation audit, and stay under 100 percent of your budget and under 80 percent ETo for 12 months.
My usage results don’t make sense. How can I be at 12,500 percent of budget?
You may have a decimal point placement issue. For meters that read in cubic feet, the unit of measurement is 100 cubic feet (HCF). For meters that read in gallons, the unit of measurement is one gallon. The correct unit of measurement can be determined by reviewing your water bill.
When your site was enrolled, you may have clicked the wrong box. For example, you may have checked the box for “Meter reads in gallons” when you should have checked the box for “Meter reads in cubic feet.” If this has occurred, please contact CLCA HQ at (916) 830-2780.
If you are not sure how to properly read your water meter, you should go to the meter manufacturer’s website and review the instructions on how to read that specific model of water meter.
Once I have achieved full certification, do I still have to participate in the performance program?
Yes, the CLCA Water Management Certification program is a performance program. In lieu of continuing education units, certified water managers must continue to manage a site to a water budget.
What if I lose access to the site I have originally enrolled?
If a participant no longer has control over a project due to a change of employer or the loss of a client, they have 90 days to enroll another project in the program. At the next review, the participant will be judged on whether they met the water budget for the past 12 months using data from a combination of the two projects. Any data gap between management of the first and second project will be handled on a case-by-case basis.
What are the three components of achieving certification?
- Passing a written test
- Completion of the performance program (See About the Certified Water Manager Program for details).
- Completion of the Irrigation Audit (Catch Can Test) component
Is the Irrigation Audit Component required for certification?
CLCA’s Water Management Program has earned the EPA WaterSense label under the landscape irrigation audit specification. To meet WaterSense requirements, an irrigation audit component is part of the current certification program requirements and is included in training and written test sessions.
