Saving Water Saves Energy

Big conservation changes are taking place in San Diego.

In May 2016, Governor Jerry Brown issued an executive order “Making Water Conservation a California Way of Life”, which urged the entire state and its businesses to become more water efficient.

Now, organizations and communities are taking action. And the grants from The San Diego Foundation Climate Program are the latest example of this region-wide effort to make San Diego more resilient to the impacts of a changing climate.

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Totaling $410,522, the Climate grants will support eight innovative public-private partnerships and nonprofit programs focused on developing smart cities in San Diego by focusing on water conservation and resilience.

Leading the Way in Solana Beach

One of the projects supported will enable Solana Beach, in partnership with Cleantech San Diego, to deploy a field trial of HydroSmart Technologies’ Smart Monitoring System Platform to its residents.

The platform will help homeowners monitor water consumption in real-time. The goal is to help homeowners better understand their water use and empower measurable conservation efforts.

Have you ever found out about a pipe break too late and well after the damage to the house has been done? The software allows homeowners to quickly detect expensive water-related issues throughout the house, such as pipe-breaks, hose bursts or slow-building pinhole leaks. When a leak is predicted or detected, the system immediately shuts off the water and notifies the homeowner.

Thanks to this project, Solana Beach and its residents will be the first in the region to adopt this smart city technology that can be replicated throughout the region.

“We believe this innovative partnership will help our residents and businesses conserve water, save money and assist the City in achieving climate action goals through real-time monitoring and tracking of water use,” explained Dan King, Assistant City Manager of Solana Beach.

According to The San Diego Foundation report, “San Diego, 2050 Is Calling. How Will We Answer?,” households makeup a significant portion of overall water usage in San Diego County.

Through the Smart Monitoring System Platform, the City of Solana Beach can send its residents customized water-savings suggestions based on their distinct usage patterns, such as replacing fixtures, installing low-water use landscaping, or taking advantage water-saving rebates, incentives and programs.

Working Together

Did you know the use of water and the use of energy are intricately intertwined?

As California enters its fifth year of drought, many leaders and communities are looking at how less water will have a trickle-down effect on other areas.

By strategic grantmaking to nonprofit organizations, public agencies and their partners, The San Diego Foundation through philanthropy is playing its part to develop regional solutions that build smarter cities.

The City of Solana Beach is just one example. Learn more about how other organizations and agencies are transforming the way San Diegans collect, use and conserve water.

Learn More

How are you practicing water conservation in your own home? Share your efforts with us in the comments!