HYDERABAD: Most housing complexes do not meter the water consumption of residents individually. Instead, the residents are charged a fixed flat rate.
Even though the water usage is different for each household, the bill is calculated by dividing the number of families by the total amount. WaterOn devices are currently functional in high rises in Hyderabad and helping the residents of the apartments have fewer conflicts on water usage.
The individual consumptions are never equal which results in most residents paying for others’ consumption as well. This unfair practice of flat fixed rate billing makes people insensitive towards water wastage in their homes.
Now, there is a solution for it, says Vivek Shukla, CEO and Co- Founder, Smarterhomes Technologies. “SmarterHomes’ core product ‘WaterOn’ measures water consumption in individual apartments. These are essentially smart meters installed at every inlet point.
Each consumption is recorded and sent to the user and billing engine. The users can view per inlet consumption, historical or average consumption or even make comparisons with their neighbours. Installing WaterOn meters is a simple cut and paste job - cut the pipe, paste the adaptors and fix the meter at every water inlet.”
Studies in behavioural sciences suggest that the most efficient approach to driving behaviour changes is to persistently compare consumption patterns of the user with their peer group. “When WaterOns are installed at an apartment complex, most people can save at least 35% of water and related costs. Measurement is the first step towards saving and conserving water.
When people are aware of the amount of water they consume and are charged for what they use, there is an immediate behavioural change to bring down the consumption.”
Smarterhomes’ WaterOn is currently functional in Maytas Hill County, Casa Rouge, Creative Sneha, Jyothi Emerald, Lotus Arcadia, Magadha Village Villas and many other apartment complexes in Hyderabad. If all high rise buildings that currently do not have any metering, adopt smart water metering solution it can result in tremendous savings.
The problem of water scarcity is a growing one. Water is a critical infrastructure to ensure high quality of life. The increase in population leads to an inevitable increase in the consumption of water. With the sudden rise in the number of apartments and residential complexes in cities, there is a glaring gap between demand and supply of water.