University Of California Invests In New Water Meters

Among the many creative drought solutions Californians are considering, the installation of water meters remains one of the most surefire strategies for conserving water.

The University of California has decided to heed that wisdom, embarking on a plan to install 400 new water meters on dorms, faculty apartments, offices and academic buildings at its Santa Cruz campus.

"The University of California Santa Cruz is launching new water meter technology that could lower water use and find elusive leaks quicker. UC Santa Cruz finished a pilot program using 10 Beacon Cellular End Point System devices connected to water meters, and is now expanding use of the devices throughout campus," KSBW reported.

In the new systems, data is transferred through cell signals. That means staff do not need to check the meters every month. The project is expected to be finished by June and expected to cost $48,000.

The metering system, created by Badger Meter, "gives customers immediate detailed feedback. Instead of waiting for a chart on a monthly bill, customers can soon log onto a website and see how many gallons they use per hour, day, week or month," the Santa Cruz Sentinel reported, citing Patrick Testoni, the campus energy manager.

Testoni shared the reasoning behind this investment. “What I learned as an energy manager is that you can’t manage what you can’t measure,” he told the Sentinel. “And this really takes it to the next level because it allows users to get instant feedback whenever they want.”

"What we're using is cellular technology to let users know how much water they're using in almost real time. They'll get hourly updates to see how much water they're using through the day," he said, per KSBW.

The university is a major water user in the city. "UCSC is supplied by Santa Cruz Water Department and uses 7 percent of the city’s water, according to a city report. City residents use 64 percent, businesses 19 percent and North Coast agriculture 8 percent. Though UCSC manages distribution, the campus is subject to district rationing rules," the Sentinel reported.

UC Santa Cruz administrators say the school makes water conservation a priority.

"The campus uses about 178 million gallons of water annually–scarcely more water than the 170 million gallons we used in 1993-94, despite having nearly 7,000 more students. We have kept a lid on water use by investing in infrastructure, education, and outreach," according to Vice Chancellor for Business and Administrative Services Sarah Latham.