Apartments get smart to save water

Chennai: Are you one of those who runs out of water every other week despite trying to conserve it? Or do you feel you are paying a higher charge for water, despite consuming less than your neighbours in the same apartment complex?
Imagine a mobile application which tells you how much water is consumed in every toilet of the house or flat and provides an option where an alarm reminds you when the consumption goes over a pre-determined value, indicating that a tap may be leaking.
Chennai, which saw one of its worst water crises last summer, seems to be finally realising the need to conserve every drop water. Residents of apartment complexes are taking to smart water metering systems, which allow them to monitor their exact daily consumption, even while they are at work or on a holiday.
Industry sources said many builders, who are constructing multi-storeyed apartments on Old Mahabalipuram Road and East Coast Road which face scarcity of groundwater, are incorporating the smart water meters at the planning stage itself.
Apartment complexes, which have installed the app, say there has been a 20-30% cut in consumption. Khurinji Westeria apartments in Kumaran Nagar, Shollinganallur, which has 20 apartments, has reduced its water consumption by around 42,000 litres a month after installing a smart water meter. This is a 20% decrease in its consumption. Sreshtha Varuna Apartments in RA Puram, which has 18 residents, has brought down its use by 59,300 litres a month, a 14% drop.
Not only does this bring down the water bill, it also helps save on power use by motors.
V Venkatesh, a resident of Sreshtha Varuna Apartments, said installation of the meters has helped bring a behavioural change. “As it gives real-time data, one knows which bathroom is consuming more water. We have also implemented a slab system for water charges in our complex. This incentivises water saving, which is the need of the hour,” he said.
Residents need to install a separate plumbing network for this, which may take around 21-30 days.
Companies are also willing to offer a monthly subscription rate for payment towards the meters, residents said.
Vivek Shukla, co-founder and CEO of SmarterHomes, which has installed water meters in 24 complexes and is in talks with builders to work at the planning stage, said there is a huge demand for such systems. “Apartments are coming up on land which earlier had only one house. This causes a water crisis, which is why residents are turning to such solutions,” he said.