22.12.2020
Phys.org has recently published an article that explains the results of a Stanford University study about the link between drought response from different housing groups and the predictions of the water needs of a district. This information is indeed insightful to dimension the water network and for their maintenance. It highlights the differences between socioeconomic classes and how they differ in water consumption, which allows to predict with more accuracy the needs of a district in terms of water distribution.
In addition to the network dimensioning problem, we find this article very insightful because it shows the differences between different consumer groups that are usually put together in the analyses. At Shayp, we are using the end users water consumption data in order to help them to reduce their consumption. It is crucial for us to understand how the users are consuming water and what is their potential to save water.
The article shows nicely how some parameters like the socio-economic status of residential districts can impact their ability to save water. Although the domestic water consumption accounts for the majority of the consumption in a municipality (69% in Brussels), this analysis could also be extended to other types of usages such as apartment buildings, work offices or industrial usage. For example, office buildings can account for 10% of the consumption.
Also other parameters were taken into account in the paper and not reported by the article. For example the buildings average building year, which is relevant information to know if a building is more likely to have leaks.
Leaks are 15% of the households water consumption and are often forgotten when we talk about water consumption reduction. In addition, 20% of the water is lost in the network through leaks. For many reasons, it should be the first focus, especially in case of drought sensitive water availability.
The leaks are water loss, fighting it is thus not a restriction. It is also one of the biggest costs for insurance companies due to water damages. It is then crucial for anyone who aims to save water, to detect and repair water leaks. In the context of droughts, restrictions are often applied to water users. If those restrictions make sense, fighting leaks should be mandatory.
Low-effort drought management through leak fighting
At Shayp, we manage the first stage of the process: identifying when a leak occurs. Thanks to our IOT device that logs the water consumption of any water meter, we are able to collect high granularity water consumption data. Our leak detection algorithm analyses automatically this data and sends an alert when a leak is detected. The user can then look for the leak, sometimes with the help of a professional, and can repair it. With this hardware and software combined, we are able to monitor a wide range of buildings from households to big buildings such as hotels or hospitals.
We also give access to our customers to their data thanks to a user-friendly app so they can have fast feedback on their actions to reduce water consumption and their leak repairs. There’s a lot more to discover on how can our technology contributes to your water savings by simply booking a demo here.
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