WaterSmart Software, a small startup in San Francisco, is working with local water districts in California and other states to transform meter data into easy-to-understand home water reports that are mailed directly to homeowners or made accessible via the Web and mobile devices.
Park City Municipal this month will roll out the new WaterSmart program helping residents know if they’re keeping up with the Joneses in terms of water use and conservation. Lynn Ware Peek has more.
The city of Palo Alto has chosen the Opower of water, WaterSmart, to help implement a behavioral conservation program. The new program also comes with another partner: the actual, newly public Opower (NYSE: OPWR).
From an investor standpoint, that attention is inspiring startups like WaterSmart Software, a small company that works with municipal utilities to help them understand their meter data and manage customer conservation programs.
Audio interview on NPR with WaterSmart founder Peter Yolles
Social pressure can have a powerful impact on behavior. The East Bay Municipal Utility District has used this to its advantage, partnering with a San Francisco startup called WaterSmart. Together, these organizations reduced water usage in households by 5 percent in an experiment by showing people how they stack up to their neighbors.
“It’s just human nature to not want to be too different from everyone else,” said Mike Hazinski, the agency’s water conservation supervisor. “It turns out that’s very motivating for customers.”
