Flume is a Smart Home Water System that can help you manage, monitor and conserve water use. It uses a water meter attachment and smartphone app. it's easy to install and is accurate to 99.9%. All you do is strap it on the side of your meter, connect it via your home Wi-Fi to the plug-in Bridge device, and it feeds you real-time information on how much water you're using, or losing to leaks, in your home. It takes 10-15 minutes to install, without needing any special skills.
With Flume, you can track indoor and outdoor water use 24/7, and get instant leak alerts. You don’t have to wait until you get your water bill to see your water use. Since you’ll see where water is being used, you can make changes in how and when you use water based on what the app tells you, get feedback to see if your new changes result in decreased water use, and make further adjustments based on the continued monitoring. You also gain peace of mind because the system will alert you to any high-flow leaks even if you are away from home.
Typically, Flume retails for $149; however, the City of Santa Barbara is currently offering a rebate to its water customers. You can get the Flume for $75 (plus tax and shipping) after you install the device.
The Flume Smart Water System was created by three Cal Poly graduate students, who were inspired by California's 2014 record-breaking drought. Through research and trial-and-error, they figured out how to get the Flume sensor to measure the magnetic field from the meter and send the information to an app via the Flume Bridge.
The Flume team says, “The future of water is digital. You can’t monitor what you can’t measure.” In the City of Santa Barbara, we have an opportunity to use the latest technology to monitor our water use. Get yours today! And it could make a great gift for a neighbor, family member or friend.