Well wants to be the go-to appliance for smart home water conservation

By Garrett Hulfish April 20, 2017

For many people, 2017 has been unusually wet. Even California, with its five-year drought, has seen record-breaking rainfall and widespread flooding. Despite the wet season, there are still 10.5 million California residents that are affected by the prolonged lack of water. This causes rationing mandates and a higher price for water.

These conditions inspired the creation of Well, a smart home water conservation system born from the collaboration of Mindtribe and Matter. Using a network of connected water sensors, users can quickly view their water consumption patterns and understand where improvements can be made.

With this added insight, users would be able to save over 12 percent on water and sewer costs. If the average home spends $1,000 each year on water, that saves $120. These small numbers add up, saving tens of thousands of gallons of water. It can also help identify potential leaks, saving even more in the process.

Three key elements encourage wide adoption. The sensors need to be non-intrusive, self-powering, and easily integrated. This results in a slim form factor that can be easily screwed into any existing water line. There is no need to do any remodeling for installation. Additionally, water turbines allow the device to power itself so users will not have to crawl under their sinks to swap batteries.

Tracking water consumption does no good if the device is hard to read. When looking at the device itself, a string of LEDs displays the level of water consumption. For convenience, the sensors will also talk directly to an app over Wi-Fi. This way users can see how much water they use in a day, month, or activity. Better understanding leads to better practice.

Currently, the device is still in its prototype stage with both Matter and Mindtribe looking toward crowdfunding or investments. Its plan is to roll out with a suite of products ranging from the small and minimal module for the sink or toilet to an integrated showerhead with the technology built inside.

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