As 2022 comes to an end, so does the implementation of one of the largest and most important projects Las Virgenes Municipal Water District has undertaken. The Advanced Meter Project is a comprehensive water meter replacement program that upgrades an important part of the water distribution system and also introduces a new tool for customers to stay efficient with their water use via the WaterSmart portal.
The new meters represent the District’s commitment to embracing technology that will improve services for our customers and reduce our carbon footprint. These new meters report near real-time water use data for customers to utilize in managing their water use while allowing the District to streamline the meter reading and billing process by being able to remotely collect usage data. This new infrastructure reduces the number of District vehicles on the road and frees up valuable staff to take on new roles and opportunities.
The WaterSmart portal is our customers’ direct link to their water usage. Using the portal allows customers to view their historical water use data and set customized usage and leak alerts to make sure they know exactly how much water they are using and when. An analysis shows that customers who are registered and using the app are seeing an average 46% reduction in usage compared to their usage before registering with WaterSmart. Customers reporting a reduction in usage are saving an average of 252 gallons per day.
A big part of these savings is in detecting leaks, the most wasteful use of water after over irrigating. In the last year, WaterSmart helped alert registered customers to 1,445 confirmed leaks. These leaks were found all over properties, from swimming pools to toilets to underground pipes and plumbing.
More and more LVMWD customers are signing onto WaterSmart and realizing the water (and money) saving benefits available. The District continues to encourage customers to sign up if they haven’t already by following the instructions below. Only about 26% of 21,000 customers have signed up to date. Additionally, customers can level up their use of the portal by watching our informative WaterSmart webinar at LVMWD.com/AdvancedMeters
