(January 23, 2026)
The Irrigation Association supports a wide range of smart landscape irrigation practices and products through better system design, professional installation, regular maintenance, and modern components that help apply the right amount of water at the right time. Smart (weather-based) irrigation controllers are a great fit for most applications and can be a powerful tool to reduce water waste.
But smart technology isn’t a one-size-fits-all product mandate, especially when the mandate is written as a point-of-sale requirement for controllers that prohibits the sale of many common products and plug-ins and add-on devices used to modify existing controllers.
That’s why the IA is supporting HB26-1034, which addresses these concerns in Colorado.
Why Colorado’s controller point-of-sale mandate is too rigid
Colorado’s HB23-1161 imposing point of sale requirements took effect Jan. 1, 2026, while allowing a sell-down of products in inventory. It restricts the sale/lease of certain irrigation equipment unless it meets specified efficiency criteria. While the IA shares the goal of water efficiency, a strict point-of-sale requirement for controllers can remove professional judgment and create practical problems for repairs and retrofits where contractors often improve performance through incremental upgrades rather than full controller replacement.
That can mean fewer workable options for property owners, higher costs and more disruption without necessarily improving outcomes compared to a site-by-site approach guided by trained irrigation professionals.
IA supports point-of-sale standards for spray sprinkler bodies
The IA is comfortable with point-of-sale requirements for spray sprinkler bodies, which is a policy approach already used widely across the country (in about a dozen states plus Washington, DC). These standards are a proven way to improve baseline efficiency while still allowing flexibility in how systems are designed, repaired and upgraded over time.
The check valve problem in Colorado: good intent, real-world drawbacks
Colorado’s current approach also includes a check valve requirement for spray sprinkler bodies. The IA’s concern is twofold:
- WaterSense does not require check valves for spray sprinkler body certification. EPA’s WaterSense materials note that spray bodies may include extra features like check valves, but the specification is focused on pressure regulation performance, not mandating a check valve.
- In Colorado’s climate, check valves can contribute to freeze-related damage and complicate winterization and retrofits—creating costs and headaches that don’t necessarily translate into better water savings.
Why IA is supporting HB26-1034
The IA supports HB26-1034: because iIt would remove the controller point-of-sale requirement and eliminate the check valve requirement, while keeping Colorado’s focus on efficient spray sprinkler bodies by tying the standard directly to WaterSense certification.
IA’s broader commitment in Colorado: efficiency, training and collaboration
Supporting HB26-1034 does not mean stepping away from water efficiency. It means pursuing efficiency in ways that actually work in the field.
IA is actively working with stakeholders in Colorado to
- promote practical water-saving best practices.
- support education and training for irrigation professionals.
- encourage adoption of smart technologies where they fit best.
- improve clarity for businesses, contractors, and consumers.
Smart irrigation is a combination of good products and good decisions, and the best policies are the ones that enable both. Smart controllers should remain a highly encouraged option for most landscapes, but not a rigid, one-size-fits-all point-of-sale mandate that can unintentionally hinder retrofits, raise costs and remove professional judgment from the process.
(July 2, 2025)
The Irrigation Association joined more than 100 organizations in signing a stakeholder letter to congressional appropriators urging robust funding for the Bureau of Reclamation’s WaterSMART program in FY2026. The letter emphasizes WaterSMART’s critical role in addressing water supply challenges in the western United States through investments in drought resilience, habitat restoration, water conservation and irrigation modernization. Stakeholders call for continued or increased funding for key components of the program, including grants, studies and planning initiatives.
Two specific initiatives within WaterSMART—Water and Energy Efficiency Grants and Small-Scale Water Efficiency Projects—are especially important to the irrigation industry. These programs provide cost-shared funding for new irrigation infrastructure and upgrades designed to improve water use efficiency and reduce energy consumption. By supporting on-the-ground modernization efforts, they help farmers and irrigation professionals implement more sustainable practices and build long-term resilience in the face of increasing water scarcity.
(June 5, 2025)
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s WaterSense program, established in 2006, is a voluntary initiative designed to promote water efficiency across residential, commercial and institutional sectors. WaterSense certifies both indoor products like plumbing fixtures and outdoor products like irrigation controllers and spray sprinkler bodies. By certifying products, homes and professional services that meet rigorous performance and water-saving criteria, WaterSense helps consumers identify options that use at least 20% less water than standard models — without sacrificing performance. WaterSense also strengthens the professional landscape through its labeled certification programs for irrigation professionals, recognizing individuals who meet EPA-endorsed criteria for efficient irrigation auditing, design and system management. .
Equally important, the program offers a uniform foundation for state and local agencies to design rebate programs, adopt codes and set performance requirements, helping to avoid a confusing patchwork of inconsistent state and local standards. For example, the Irrigation Association and its members have been pointing to WaterSense as the preferred approach for irrigation controller requirements under consideration by the California Energy Commission and for the work in Colorado to implement a state law requiring WaterSense-labeled irrigation controllers. For more details on this work, see “Updates on state irrigation controller requirements.”
To further address outdoor water use, the EPA initiated the development of a specification for high-efficiency spray sprinkler nozzles. A draft specification was released in November 2023 to establish performance thresholds for nozzles that could earn the WaterSense label. However, in January 2025, the EPA announced a pause in the development of this specification. The agency cited the need for additional review, stakeholder engagement and alignment with evolving market and regulatory dynamics. The IA is starting a conversation among interested stakeholders on the process and approach for developing a voluntary consensus standard for high-efficiency nozzles, both spray and multi-stream, multi-trajectory nozzles.
It is also important to note that recent executive action focused on revising water efficiency standards for indoor plumbing fixtures — such as toilets and showerheads — do not affect irrigation products. So far actions by the new administration have not directly affected WaterSense’s work on outdoor irrigation products and have had only limited impacts on WaterSense’s overall outdoor programming.
WaterSense forms the cornerstone of landscape irrigation efficiency, and the I A plans to continue finding ways to use, build on and shape it to meet the needs of industry and consumers to save water with high-performing products and services.
(June 3, 2025)
The Water Conservation Rebate Tax Parity Act, introduced in March 2025, seeks to amend the Internal Revenue Code to exclude water conservation rebates from federal taxable income. This bipartisan legislation — led by Representatives Jared Huffman (D-CA) and Blake Moore (R-UT) in the House (H.R. 1871) and Senators John Curtis (R-UT), Alex Padilla (D-CA) and John Hickenlooper (D-CO) in the Senate (S. 857) — aims to give water conservation the same federal tax treatment as energy efficiency incentives, which are currently nontaxable. The bill builds on past efforts, reflecting a growing recognition in Congress of the need to promote responsible water use through supportive tax policy.
Homeowners who install water-saving technologies stand to benefit directly. By eliminating the federal tax burden on conservation rebates, the legislation makes it more affordable for families to upgrade to efficient irrigation equipment and landscaping practices. The policy particularly helps communities in drought-prone regions and low-income households that are often discouraged by additional tax liabilities tied to conservation investments.
The irrigation industry has a strong stake in the success of this legislation. By expanding the use of water-efficient technologies, the Act has the potential to drive growth in demand for smart irrigation controllers, high-efficiency nozzles and other water-saving products. It also provides a clearer and more consistent framework for utility rebate programs across states, helping avoid the confusion of inconsistent tax treatment. This encourages greater innovation and adoption of advanced water-saving solutions in both residential and commercial landscapes.
Since its introduction, new cosponsors have joined in the House [Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA-1), Rep. Jim Costa (D-CA-21), Rep, Zachary Nunn (R-IA-3), and Rep Raul Ruiz (D-CA-25)] and two new cosponsors have joined in the Senate [Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO) and Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA)].
As of May 2025, both versions of the bill have been referred to their respective committees: the House Committee on Ways and Means and the Senate Committee on Finance. The IA strongly supports the Water Conservation Rebate Tax Parity Act and continues to advocate for its passage.