According to the National Organic Program (Section 205.200 of the rule), “Production practices … must maintain or improve the natural resources of the operation, including soil and water quality.” Your Organic System Plan should outline your strategies to maintain or improve water quality, including your practices to conserve water, minimize salinization, and prevent water contamination. Your irrigation water should not be a source of prohibited materials. Water conservation strategies might include only watering at night, monitoring moisture levels in the soil so you only water when necessary, or using drip irrigation rather than aerial methods. Monitoring records might include dates and/or times of irrigation, records of water usage, salinity test results, residue analyses if specific contaminants are known or suspected, soil moisture tests, and/or dates when water filters were changed.

Browse related Faqs by tag: organic production, certification, water