When is a leak not a leak?

February 24, 2012 by

At Aquacue, a typical water profile shows frequent, variable, on-and-off water use throughout the day. So when Wave analytic software detects continuous use of any amount in a 24-hour period it’s interpreted as “unintended water use,”  and reports it as a leak on the dashboard and in the weekly email report.

In commercial campuses or high-density residential properties, round-the-clock water use may be standard operating procedure and “continuous flow” is just that, and no cause for alarm. But to avoid being lulled into continuous flow complacency it’s necessary to be watchful if things do go out of whack, like when there is extraordinarily high water flow.  For those events an extra-high-flow threshold target will trigger a leak report if that threshold has been breached (so to speak.)

So, dear Aquacue customer, if continuous water flow is the norm for your facility, let’s talk and determine what threshold setting will avoid a false positive leak report, yet still keep everyone’s head above water. Our goal is to strike the right balance between peace and quiet, with peace of mind.

True Story #27

February 10, 2012 by

Something’s coming. It’s going to be great!

February 8, 2012 by

We’re literally counting down the hours, minutes, and seconds until the start of our next big adventure. When the zeros line up on this countdown clock the Stanford Water Wars 2012 will begin in earnest with Aquacue’s water monitoring technology measuring water use, detecting leaks, and ranking the contenders—in real time. Synchronize your timepiece; the water fight starts at midnight, February 12. It’s going to be great!

Compete. Alone or in a group. It’s all good.

February 7, 2012 by

“I can see how I would become really competitive with myself, trying to constantly beat my average and make new record low water consumption goals.”  This is a quote from a recent comment on our blog from an individual who was inquiring about our newly released software platform, Wave 1.0. The writer is referring to her desire to compete with herself to save more water. Meanwhile, here’s a quote from a blogger friend of ours, Tobias Hoellrich who recently wrote about his desire to compete with his neighbors to save water. “I would really like to compare my household use other households in the neighborhood to see how I’m doing compared to them.” Both of these folks have the same goal: save water. One is motivated by her own habits, the other by those of his community.  The result is the same:  becoming better water managers.

Bottom-line: Competition is a great motivator to help individuals and groups save water and become really effective water managers

Just Say Aquacue

February 6, 2012 by

Here’s a video overview of the UC Merced Water Battle, held last fall. Aquacue’s technology provided real-time water data to on-campus student residents via the competition dashboard.

The student leaders developed a fantastic outreach program, achieving  a 14% water savings during the competition. We’re delighted to be showcased in this campus Impact video! Thanks, UC Merced!

Big Water

February 3, 2012 by

Dr. David Zetland is one of Aquacue’s esteemed advisors and our go-to guy with big thoughts on big water issues. He examines how economic instruments can help shape policy, distribution and pricing of our favorite resource: water. David is currently collaborating with the Economic Policy Instruments for Water Sustainability in Europe. He’s also a senior water economist at Wageningen University, The Netherlands.

Recently, David was in our neck of the woods on Wednesday speaking at the Commonwealth Club in San Francisco. If you missed it you can get the gist of his talk by reading his thought provoking and important book: The End of Abundance: Economic Solutions to Water Scarcity, available in paper, pdf, and Kindle. It’s on our bookshelf at Aquacue. We’re also big fans of his blog, Aquanomics. Read it!

Are We in a Drought Yet?

February 1, 2012 by

People are asking this question more regularly now that we are in February, past our first third of a generally “typical” rainy season pattern (see graph below.)

The Sierra Nevada snowpack is a key source of California’s water supply. Officials said Monday, January 30th, that snowpack water content was just 38 percent of average, compared to the 19 percent they measured in early January.

While December 2011 and most of January 2012 were dry, typically February through May still account for significant precipitation. In the past 2 years we have had rains past May and into June. So while precipitation-to-date is lagging, there are a number of historically wet months ahead of us. And though precipitation and inflow conditions are currently below normal, carryover storage within the SFPUC system is above typical due to the wet conditions of Water Year 2011, a cool summer and low demand.

So far it looks like a “below normal rainfall year.” However, one dry year, especially after 2 relatively wet years,“does not a drought make.” Here’s where you can get up-to-date information about water conditions.

Aquacue Opens the Kimono

January 30, 2012 by

We’re staking the claim that no one makes real-time water data more compelling than Aquacue. And we’re delivering on that claim by releasing Wave 1.0 dashboard for single Barnacle users (i.e. residences and Pilot Pack customers.) Wave 1.0 has a simply beautiful, interactive interface loaded with features and attractions.

But don’t take our word for it, experience it for yourself.

To access a real live Aquacue Wave account go here and have at it: zoom into the charts, double click the bars, toggle the overlays, and scroll around the map view.

Sign in frequently to track this user’s water consumption and you’ll see the vicissitudes of daily life, represented through water. We think it’s fascinating.

While it’s always fun to snoop at someone else’s water data, imagine how much more rewarding it would be to look at your own!

If you are a large commercial water user or facility manager and you need to get a handle on your water expenses try Aquacue’s Pilot Pack. You’ll get a single Barnacle with three-month access to Wave analytics software for a low, low price of $997.

It’s a simple to install, easy to use, low-risk trial, and we’ll bet money you’ll discover a leak. (It happens every time.)

Email info@aquacue.com to learn how to get your Aquacue Pilot Pack.

Wave 1.0 dashboard is browser compatible with Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Safari, and Internet Explorer 9. Internet Explorer 8 users, please download Google Chrome Frame plugin for optimum results.

Welcome Reza!

January 27, 2012 by

It takes a quite a bit of ingenuity to bring simple, easy and innovative solutions to big, real-world problems. Towards that end Dr. Reza Kassayan has recently joined Aquacue’s advisory board as an engineering consultant and technical advisor.

Reza’s specialty is designing ultra-miniaturized embedded computing devices and applications for medical, aerospace, and telemetric industries. Reza brings his broad expertise and brilliant inventiveness to assist Aquacue’s engineering efforts. We look forward to implementing his design contributions and making our products more simple, easy and innovative. Welcome, Reza!

Announcing the Aquacue Pilot Pack

January 25, 2012 by

We’re offering qualified customers an easy way to try our water management products and services: the Aquacue Pilot Pack. It’s a short-term, low-commitment way to experience our innovative products first hand.

The Pilot Pack comes with one Barnacle, a measuring and monitoring device that attaches to any meter in minutes and transmits water data to our servers in the cloud. Along with the Barnacle customers get 3-months access to Aquacue’s Wave analytics software that reports and displays real-time water data via any web browser.

So what’s unique about Aquacue’s approach to water management?

1. Real-time water data delivered in 15-minute increments so customers can investigate leaks, find inefficiencies and reduce water expenses.

2. The Barnacle works with any installed meter; there’s no pipe cutting, digging, or meter upgrade.

3. Water data is transmitted by the Barnacle via the existing cell network. It’s not only wireless, it’s wire-free. No external power supply needed.

4. Aquacue Wave’s simple, graphical dashboard is accessed securely over the Internet so there’s no software to install or manage. Real-time water data starts from the meter and ends up on any browser or smart phone.

If you’re a large commercial or institutional facility manager and you want to experience Aquacue’s simple, easy approach to water management contact us at info@aquacue.com. The Aquacue Pilot Pack is $997 for a 3-month trial run. Start learning about the water flowing through your pipes; there’s nothing to lose and water to save.


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