New Software Helps With Meter Reading

Will meter data management become the saving grace of struggling drinking water utilities?

A new product from Dropcountr, maker of water conservation software tools, tries to help utilities comply with regulations around water conservation. Known as Clear, the program aims to help with monitoring, reporting, and customer service. It is being targeted initially to water providers in the drought-plagued West.

"Whether a utility is managing a service area of 5,000 residents or 5 million, Clear’s user interface visually maps daily, monthly and annual water consumption and identifies user trends, problematic water hogs and damaging leaks," Environmental Leader reported.

"It also helps utilities quickly aggregate and export monthly usage data for newly codified reporting regulation in a matter of a few clicks," it continued.

The technology helps answer some key questions: "Who were your highest users last month? Which accounts are trending upward on usage? Sort accounts by usage, leak flags or geography. Quickly filter into groups for messaging, follow-up and reporting," Dropcountr explains in its materials.

Dropcountr also offers tools to directly support ratepayers, who face pressure from lawmakers and #droughtshaming from their neighbors to cut down on water use. Offerings include software "for setting and managing a home water budget," IEEE Spectrum reported.

The products support recent policy pushes toward conversation.

"The Dropcountr app follows a recent plea from the state governor for Californians to reduce water consumption by one fifth. The app includes alerts that warn customers before they hit 'peak water usage,' as well as information about leaks," The Guardian reported.

Robb Barnitt, chief executive of Dropcountr, explained the benefits.

“This is the first mobile app to connect consumers with their water use, empowering them to save water and money,” he said, per the report.