The first meeting of the ICC-802 Landscape Irrigation Emission Devices Standard Consensus Committee (formerly the Turfgrass and Landscape Irrigation Sprinkler Standard Consensus Committee) was held August 31 and September 1, in Chicago, Illinois. The 12-person committee began work on the first ANSI standard for landscape irrigation sprinklers, bubblers, and microirrigation emitters. The key actions of the committee included:

• Revised the name of the standard to "Landscape Irrigation Emission Devices Standard" (formerly "Turfgrass and Landscape Irrigation Sprinkler Standard").
• Elected Timothy Malooly (Water in Motion, Plymouth, Minnesota) chair, and Brent Mecham (Irrigation Association, Falls Church, Virginia) vice chair.
• Affirmed the scope of the standard as inclusive of all landscape irrigation emission devices, including sprays, rotors, bubblers, and microirrigation sprays and emitters. Agreed to specifically exclude devices used exclusively for agricultural irrigation and products for use with garden hoses.
• Developed key definitions for emission devices and landscape for use within the standard, and a classification system for the various types of products to be included in the standard.
• Produced a tentative list of test methods required for various emission devices.
• Created four task groups to begin drafting the standard text, including: Sprinkler Test Methods & Design (Michael Dukes, PhD., University of Florida, chair); Microirrigation Test Methods & Design (Brent Mecham, chair); Health, Safety and Product Durability (Lynn Niblock, Iredell County, North carolina, chair); and Admin, Definitions, Packaging and Labeling (Travis Tsunemori, ASABE, chair).

Key themes in the discussion included the need for consistent testing methods and definitions, codifying existing product design practices wherever possible, and a strong desire to focus on performance to preserve as much flexibility for manufacturers to innovate as possible.

The next full committee meeting was tentatively scheduled for November 9 in San Diego, California, immediately following the Irrigation Associations 2011 Irrigation Show. All interested parties are encouraged to attend. The newly appointed task groups will convene via conference calls between committee meetings. Task groups are open to participation by any interested party. Also note that the Sprinkler Test Methods & Design and the Microirrigation Test Methods & Design task groups will hold in-person working sessions at the WaterSmart Innovations Conference in Las Vegas, Nevada, on October 4. For more information or to participate, contact the respective chair, or the ICC Staff Secretariat Shawn Martin.