almost 180 gallons in 2007), according to the San Diego County Water Authority.
“We’re going to have to start managing water more efficiently,” says Steiner, who contends that the special tax districts, utilities, and agencies that provide water generally don’t use advanced analytics software, and cannot provide their customers with detailed information about their water use.
“They’ve done a great job of innovating in terms of encouraging the installation of low-flush toilets and low-flow showerheads,” Steiner says. “But I want to know: ‘How much water am I using? How does that compare over time? How does it compare with my neighbors? And how does that compare with a similar sized household in a similar house with a similar climate?’ “
Water Smart has been developing Web-based software that uses customer data drawn from its utility partners and provides websites where customers can log on to get information about their own water use and how it compares with others, as well as offering customized suggestions for ways each customer can specifically cut use. “We want people to realize that installing an ultra low-flow toilet does not mean sacrificing any quality of life,” Steiner says.
WaterSmart’s Web-based dashboard also tracks the cost of each household’s water use. The idea is to make it easier for consumers to save money, which makes it easier for utilities to reduce overall consumption and improve the efficiency of their system.
“We’re targeting about 2 percent in annual savings over one year, so roughly 10 percent in additional savings in water use over a five-year period,” Steiner says.
The company intends to generate revenue from its partnerships through a software-as-a-service business model, Steiner says. WaterSmart has been working to
