Washington Administrative Code › Title 16 - Agriculture, Department of (See also Titles 24, 60, and 142) › GRAIN AND CHEMICAL › Chapter 16-202 - Application of pesticides and plant nutrients through irrigation systems › Part 5 - GENERAL PROVISIONS FOR FERTIGATION OPERATION › Section 16-202-2002 - How are specific terms and phrases defined in this chapter?

Current through Register Vol. 24-14, July 15, 2024
Terms as defined in this section are applied throughout
					 this chapter.
(1) "Air gap" means an
				  unobstructed physical separation between the free-flowing discharge end of a
				  supply pipe and the overflow rim of an open or nonpressurized receiving vessel.
				  The separation must be at least four times the diameter of the supply pipe
				  measured vertically from the overflow rim of the receiving vessel, and in no
				  case be less than 25 mm, or one inch.
(2) "Alternative technology" means any device
				  or concept that meets the performance standards contained in this
				  chapter.
(3) "Antipollution safety
				  device" means any equipment or device effectively designed, constructed, and
				  maintained that is used in the event of malfunction or shutdown to prevent
				  backflow of a chemical or treated water into the water supply, or to reduce
				  human exposure or hazard to the environment. Equipment or devices may include,
				  but are not limited to, the irrigation line check valve, vacuum relief valve,
				  low-pressure drain, inspection port, metering device, chemical injection
				  closure device, and system interlock.
(4) "Application depth" means the amount of
				  irrigation water applied to a given unit area during an irrigation set, and is
				  usually expressed in inches or gallons.
(5) "Application season" means the period
				  during which product is injected into an irrigation system for crop protection,
				  plant growth, or soil preparation.
(6) "Application tank" means a product
				  container and appurtenances used for the storage of product that is dedicated
				  for use with and functionally connected to an irrigation system.
(7) "Applicator" or "operator" means any
				  individual who has assumed responsibility or is considered principally
				  responsible to ensure that the fertigation system functions properly and
				  conforms with the provisions of this chapter.
(8) "Approved backflow prevention assembly"
				  means a reduced pressure backflow assembly, reduced pressure detector assembly,
				  double check valve detector assembly, or double check valve assembly of a make,
				  model, and size that is approved by the department of health pursuant to WAC
				  246-290-490.
(9) "Approved reduced pressure backflow
				  assembly" or "reduced pressure detector assembly" means backflow prevention
				  assemblies of make, model, and size approved by the department of health
				  pursuant to WAC
				  246-290-490.
(10) "Aquaculture" means the cultivation of
				  water-based plants or animals.
(11)
				  "Backflow" means the reversal of fluid flow due to backpressure or
				  backsiphonage.
(12) "Backflow
				  prevention device" or "backflow safety device" means antipollution safety
				  devices that prevent the flow of water from the irrigation water distribution
				  system back to the water source or to the product source.
(13) "Barometric loop" or "gooseneck" means a
				  raised section of pipe where the bottom of the loop is at least two feet above
				  the highest water emitting device or any portion of the irrigation application
				  system which has a vacuum relief valve installed on the top of the
				  loop.
(14) "Check valve" means a
				  certified device designed and constructed to provide automatic, quick-acting,
				  and absolute closure that creates and maintains a watertight seal. The device
				  prevents flow in the opposite direction of that desired when operation of the
				  irrigation system or chemical injection unit fails or is shut down.
(15) "Chemical" or "product" means a
				  commercial fertilizer, soil amendment, system maintenance compound, or other
				  materials such as reclaimed water or animal effluent.
(16) "Commercial fertilizer" means a
				  substance containing one or more recognized plant nutrients and which is used
				  for its plant nutrient content and/or which is designated for use or claimed to
				  have value in promoting plant growth, and shall include limes, gypsum, and
				  manipulated animal and vegetable manures. It shall not include unmanipulated
				  animal and vegetable manures and other products exempted by the department by
				  rule.
(17) "Contact name" means a
				  person or company responsible for placement and operation of an application
				  tank.
(18) "Decommissioned" means
				  rendering an application tank unusable for product containment.
(19) "Deep percolation" means the movement of
				  water downward through the soil profile below a plant's effective rooting
				  zone.
(20) "Department" means the
				  Washington state department of agriculture.
(21) "End gun" means an intermittent, high
				  volume water-emitting device located at or near the end of an irrigation
				  application system.
(22)
				  "Environment" means any plant, animal, natural resource, surface water
				  (including underlying sediments), groundwater, drinking water supply, land
				  surface or subsurface strata, or ambient air within the state of Washington or
				  under the jurisdiction of the state of Washington.
(23) "Fertigation" means the application of
				  any commercial fertilizer, nutrient, soil amendment, or reclaimed water with
				  irrigation water intended for plant or soil biota growth and development or for
				  soil conditioning or reclamation.
(24) "Fertigation operation" means all
				  activities and equipment associated in preparing for, performing, and
				  concluding a fertigation application, which includes, but is not limited to,
				  calibrating, mixing, loading, starting up, operating, monitoring, or shutting
				  down a fertigation system.
(25)
				  "Fertigation system" means the chemical injection system as well as the
				  irrigation water distribution system.
(26) "Homemade" means devices not otherwise
				  commercially available for sale or not manufactured for the purpose of
				  commercial sale.
(27) "Hydroponic"
				  means the practice of growing plants in an aqueous solution, moist inert
				  material, or otherwise in the absence of a mineral-based medium.
(28) "Imminent danger" means a threat to
				  human health or the environment that is likely to happen during the current
				  application.
(29) "Injection
				  system" means all components used to supply, deliver, meter, and inject a
				  substance into an irrigation system. This includes devices and components
				  located between and inclusive of the application tank and the point of product
				  discharge into the irrigation water, including components of the system
				  interlock.
(30) "Inspection port"
				  means an orifice or other viewing device from which the low pressure drain and
				  irrigation line check valve may be assessed for proper operation.
(31) "Irrigation application system" means
				  the physical components of an irrigation system that begins at the first water
				  emitting device and ends with the last water emitting or purging
				  device.
(32) "Irrigation season"
				  means that period of time during which supplemental water is applied to aid in
				  plant development, soil conditioning, temperature modification, or other such
				  purposes.
(33) "Irrigation system"
				  means all components used in diverting, supplying, distributing, and applying
				  irrigation water.
(34) "Irrigation
				  water distribution system" means all components inclusive of the irrigation
				  water supply system and the irrigation application system.
(35) "Irrigation water supply system" means
				  the water conveyance system, which begins at the point of diversion from the
				  irrigation water source and ends with the first water emitting
				  device.
(36) "Metering device"
				  means a positive displacement injection pump, venturi device, or gravity feed
				  device capable of being calibrated and used to gauge chemical placement into
				  the irrigation water distribution system.
(37) "Nonpressurized water delivery system"
				  means a method of irrigation in which water is distributed over the soil
				  surface by gravity flow, such as rill, border, gated pipe, or spigotted
				  pipe.
(38) "Offsite application"
				  means the application or movement of product from the target site.
(39) "Operator" means the individual who is
				  performing a fertigation operation.
(40) "Outtake" means an opening that provides
				  a source of untreated water.
(41)
				  "Reclaimed water" means process water discharge from food processors and from
				  wastewater treatment facilities, which is applied to land or plants with the
				  intention of recovering water and nutrients.
(42) "Rinsate" means the liquid produced from
				  the rinsing of any equipment or container that has come in direct contact with
				  any fertilizer or soil amendment.
(43) "Runoff" means surface water leaving the
				  target site.
(44) "Sensitive
				  area(s)" means schools, parks, dwellings, occupied buildings or structures,
				  public roadways, waters of the state, or other areas in which off-target
				  movement may endanger humans, animals, crops, or the environment.
(45) "Soil amendment" means any organic or
				  inorganic substance, other than a commercial fertilizer as defined in WAC
				  16-200-695, that is intended to
				  improve the physical characteristics of the soil or to make the growth medium
				  more suitable for the establishment, growth, and production of
				  plants.
(46) "Source water" or
				  "water source" means an aquifer or surface water body, including a stream,
				  stream system, lake, reservoir, or off-farm irrigation water ditch or
				  conveyance system, and any spring water or underground water that is part of or
				  tributary to the surface water body or aquifer.
(47) "System interlock" means the arrangement
				  or interconnection of the irrigation pump or a pressure or flow sensing device
				  with the chemical injection unit or other pumps in such a manner that shutdown
				  of the fertigation injection system will occur in the event of any component
				  malfunction or failure that substantially impacts the application
				  rate.
(48) "Vacuum relief valve"
				  means a device that automatically relieves or breaks a vacuum, thereby
				  preventing backsiphoning.
(49)
				  "Washwater" means the liquid produced from the rinsing of the exterior of any
				  equipment or containers that have or may have come in direct contact with any
				  fertilizer or soil amendment.
(50)
				  "Waters of the state" means, but is not limited to, lakes, rivers, ponds,
				  streams, inland waters, underground waters, salt waters, irrigation canals, and
				  reservoirs.
Statutory Authority:
						Chapters
						15.54, 15.58, 17.21, and
						34.05 RCW. 01-23-018, §
						16-202-2002, filed 11/9/01, effective
						11/9/01.