Aquacue

Another disruptive story from the front lines.

“We suspected we had a water leak [at our home] but couldn’t find the source. With Aquacue we quickly found the information necessary to isolate the problem. It saved us dollars, gallons, and a lot of time. Great service.”
 
“I quickly became addicted to the Aquacue service. Once you have a taste of such rich data, you just can’t go back to the standard monthly paper statements. Aquacue’s service represents where the water industry should be going.”
 
Michael Santullo
Co-Founder, Cleantech Open

Ben is a homeowner living in Silicon Valley who has been using Aquacue products and services for the past several months. In this brief Q&A Ben shares some of his experiences using the Aquacue Barnacle and services.

What prompted you to search for water management products?

Ben: I’ve long been interested in water issues.  Water is a precious resource and we don’t treat it with the respect it deserves. Understanding how we utilize our water helps to maximize its value.

How did Aquacue help address your own water-related issues and needs?

Ben: Aquacue’s technology offers a fine-grain view of your water use.  When tied to activity observances, Aquacue’s technology and services can provide clear insight into the costs of your actual  water use which is information that up to now has not been available.

Was the ability to access your water usage on the iPhone/iPad important to you?

Ben: It was initially, or at least intellectually, but I ended up accessing my usage information online.

How do you think Aquacue services would help other homeowners/ property managers address similar issues?

Ben: Property owners with a water bill of any substance can benefit from knowing what their individual use really costs.  The added benefit of leak detection from a remote location (imagine an  unexpected or meaningful “water event” like a burst pipe or faucet or hose left running) is a powerful tool to have at your fingertips.

Were there any additional unexpected benefits from using Aquacue?

Ben: I have an old property, and knew there were some leaks in the underground pipes, but didn’t know where and to what degree.  Aquacue helped me understand the levels of loss by comparing periods of time when  no water was actively/purposefully being used and prompted me to actively address the problem by repairing leaks and other usage issues in and around my property.

After I installed the Aquacue Barnacle (monitoring device) and started monitoring activities, fixing small leaks, and tweaking water related elements, I had the lowest water bill I’ve had in seven years.  Having the insight and information about my water use at my fingertips helped change my behavior as well.  It’s really a great product and a great way to do the right thing, financially and for the greater good of our global resources.

Aquacue makes it easy for you to care about how you use your water.

Here’s a recent e-mail from an Aquacue customer:

November 2010

Dave
California

Before installing an Aquacue Barnacle, Dave had little insight into his water usage. But that all changed soon after installing the Barnacle and the Aquacue iPhone app. The app made is super convenient to get leak alerts, access the hourly water use data and to see the actual number of gallons that was being used by the automatic sprinkler system.

The surprising element of the app that Dave had not bargained for was the social dynamics and feedback — each time he showed the app to friends, he was asked why he had not fixed the leaks.

The constant reminders from Aquacue and the guilt of ignoring his friends urging to fix the leak finally caused Dave to take action to reduce water waste resulting in significant reduction in his water bill.