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Protocols are drafted by irrigation experts, then opened for public comment for 90 days. Comments are reviewed and considered. Where appropriate, changes are made to the testing protocol and made available again for public comment. Major changes are open for comment for 90 days and minor changes for 30 days.  Most protocols go through several cycles of public review and revision before being adopted for third-party testing. Draft testing protocols for each product category are archived and publicly available here: 

Pressure-regulating Spray Heads

Archives

Draft 3: Test Protocol

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Spray Head Sprinkler Nozzles

Archives

Version 3: Test Protocol

Spray Head Sprinkler Nozzles Performance Characteristics, Version 3.1  - posted Oct. 29, 2014; no public comments received
Spray Head Sprinkler Nozzles Performance Characteristics, Version 3.0  - posted Dec. 18, 2013
Public comments and responses, Version 3.0  - posted April 29, 2015 

Version 2: Test Protocol

High Uniformity Sprinkler Nozzles Version 2.0 (PDF) Posted June 25, 2013 
Public comments and responses, Version 2.0 (PDF) Posted Dec. 18, 2013

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Pop-up Sprinkler Head Check Valves

Archives

Version 2.2: Test Protocol

Sprinkler Head Check Valve Testing Protocol Version 2.2 — updated March 20, 2014
Responses to Public Comments to Version 2.2

Version 2.1: Test Protocol

Sprinkler Head Check Valve Testing Protocol Version 2.1 — updated Dec. 18, 2013

Version 2.0 Test Protocol

Sprinkler Head Check Valve Testing Protocol Version 2.0 — updated March 26, 2012
Public comments and responses — updated Dec. 18, 2013

Draft 1: Test Protocol

Public comments received — updated Aug, 31, 2012
Response to comments — updated March 26, 2012

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Rain Sensors

Archives

Draft 2: Test Protocol

2nd Draft Summary Review (PDF 39KB)
2nd Draft Public Comments (PDF 19KB)
2nd Draft Rainfall Shutoff Devices (PDF 127KB) 

Draft 1: Test Protocol

1st Draft Summary Review (PDF 55KB)
1st Draft Public Comments (PDF 41KB)
Phase 1: 1st Draft - Rain Sensors (PDF 61KB)

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Weather-based Controllers

Archives

IA Comments for EPA Draft Specification for Weather-based Controllers 
Friday, January 15, 2010 - Brian Vinchesi, chair of the IA SWAT committee, submitted comments to WaterSense on behalf of the IA regarding the specification for weather-based irrigation smart controllers. IA Comments to EPA - Weather-Based Controllers.
 
If you have questions about the specification, please contact the WaterSense Helpline at (866) WTR-SENS (987.7367).

Draft 8: Test Protocol

Review Draft 7: Test Protocol

Review 7th Draft Summary Review (PDF 95KB)
Review 7th Draft Public Comments (PDF 283KB)
Review 7th Draft Test Protocols - Climate-based Controllers (PDF 108KB) 
 
Proposed Change to Draft 7: Test Protocol, Oct 2007 - The change was not approved; it will be reviewed during the 2008 protocol review process. Comments for the proposed change to section 4.6 of draft 7 (originally posted Nov. 2006) are closed. The proposed change, noted here in bold italics, modifies the third sentence to read "Valid performance data is then downloaded from a minimum 30 consecutive day period of testing and exhibiting a minimum of 0.40 in. of gross rainfall and a minimum of 2.50 in. of ETo."

7th Draft Public Comments Section 4.6 (PDF 1MB)

Draft 7: Test Protocol

Drafts 5 and 6: Test Protocol

Official product testing began after the fourth draft of the test protocols. Minor changes made to these drafts in comparison to the current draft do not affect the test results.

6th Draft Public Comments (PDF 1MB)
6th Draft Test Protocols (PDF 176KB)  Changes from previous draft are highlighted. 
Public Testing Announcement (PDF 8KB)
5th Draft Public Comments (PDF 660KB)
5th Draft Test Protocols (PDF 148KB) Changes from previous draft are highlighted.

Drafts 1-4: Test Protocol

Key development of the protocols took place in the first through fourth drafts.
4th Draft Summary Review (PDF 80KB)
4th Draft Test Protocols (PDF 198KB) Changes from previous draft are highlighted. 
3rd Draft Public Comments (PDF 1MB)
3rd Draft Test Protocols (PDF 205KB) Changes from previous draft are highlighted. 
2nd Draft Summary Review (PDF 83KB)
2nd Draft Public Comments (PDF 2MB)
2nd Draft Test Protocols (PDF 227KB) Changes from previous draft are highlighted. 
1st Draft Summary Review (PDF 106KB)
1st Draft Public Comments (PDF 2MB)
1st Draft Test Protocols (PDF 98KB)

Archives - Add-on Devices

Draft 3: Recommendations

The final draft, submitted to the EPA, and summary review for the second draft are below.
 
The subject of add-on devices and how many controllers with which they would need to be tested arose at the SWAT meeting held at the Irrigation Show, November 4, 2008. SWAT was directed by the attendees to develop recommendations for testing add-on devices that can work with new or existing systems.
 
Important: This is not part of nor will it be part of the protocols for climatologically- or soil moisture sensor-based controllers. It is a suggested position for EPA consideration.

3rd Draft Add-on Devices - Recommendations (PDF 32KB)  

Draft 2: Recommendations

Draft 1: Recommendations

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Soil Moisture-based Controllers

Archives

Draft 2: Test Protocol

Draft 1: Test Protocol

Phase 1, Draft 8: Test Protocol

Phase 2, Draft 4: Test Protocol

Phase 1, Draft 7: Test Protocol

Phase 1, Draft 6 & Phase 2, Draft 3: Test Protocols

Phase 1: 6th Draft Summary Review (PDF 55KB)
Phase 2: 3rd Draft Summary Review (PDF 67KB)
Phase 1: 6th Draft & Phase 2: 3rd Draft Public Comments (PDF 22KB)
Phase 1: 6th Draft & Phase 2: 3rd Draft Test Protocols - Soil Moisture Sensors (PDF 340KB) 

Notes: Soil Moisture Sensor Meeting, Jan. 15, 2008, CIT, Fresno, Calif. Representatives from 12 soil moisture sensor manufacturers met together with water provider representatives, SWAT committee representatives and IA staff. The goal was to jointly advance the development of the proposed draft protocols for testing of individual sensors and how effectively they control irrigation events.

Phase 1, Draft 5 and Phase 2, Draft 2: Test Protocols

Phase 1: 5th Draft & Phase 2: 2nd Draft Public Comments (PDF 609KB)
Phase 1: 5th Draft & Phase 2: 2nd Draft Test Protocols - Soil Moisture Sensors (PDF 198KB) 

Phase 2, Draft 1: Test Protocols

The Phase 2 first draft test protocol began to address the "Outdoor Operational Test on Turf Grass," which integrates the soil sensor with an irrigation controller to measure irrigation adequacy and efficiency in a virtual landscape.

Phase 2: 1st Draft Public Comments (PDF 3MB)
Phase 2: 1st Draft Test Protocols - Soil Moisture Sensors (PDF 106KB) 

Phase 1, Drafts 1-4: Test Protocols for Indoor Lab Screening Tests

Key development of Phase 1 protocols took place in the first through fourth drafts. Phase 1 beta testing began at the fourth draft of the test protocols. The objective of Phase 1 lab tests is to evaluate how well current soil moisture sensor technology functions over a range of conditions that affect soil moisture, including soil type, temperature and salinity. Phase 1 Soil Moisture Sensor testing results do not measure the integration of a soil sensor with a controller to manage irrigation. 

Phase 1, 4th Draft Public Comments (PDF 83KB)
Phase 1, 4th Draft Test Protocols (PDF 168KB) Changes from previous draft are highlighted. 
Phase 1, 3rd Draft Summary Review (PDF 75KB)
Phase 1, 3rd Draft Public Comments (PDF 1MB)
Phase 1, 3rd Draft Test Protocols (PDF 209KB) Changes from previous draft are highlighted. 
Phase 1, 2nd Draft Summary Review (PDF 92KB)
Phase 1, 2nd Draft Public Comments (PDF 3MB)
Phase 1, 2nd Draft Test Protocols (PDF 388KB) Changes from previous draft are highlighted.  
1st Draft Summary Review (PDF 86KB)
1st Draft Public Comments (PDF 2MB)
1st Draft Test Protocols (PDF 94KB)
 
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