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H2Oscore helps consumers better understand how much water they use.
By McGee Young, Associate Professor of Political Science, Marquette University - October 30, 2013
For our 2013 Annual Luncheon blog series, we're discussing "Accelerating Change"—the theme of this year's Annual Luncheon. Experts from outside and inside MPC will bring their thoughts to the table on how technology is helping our cities meet the challenges and opportunities facing them today and tomorrow.
There is no greater public policy challenge than maintaining an adequate supply of clean, fresh drinking water. In the Midwest, the challenge comes not from scarcity, though this is an issue in much of the world, nor from price, though rising prices are hurting the most vulnerable members of our society. Rather, the challenge stems from the hidden value of water. As Benjamin Franklin put it, only when the well is dry do we know the worth of water. I created a program called H2Oscore that targets the problem of water sustainability by engaging communities with their water use. Through online dashboards, an innovative “Conservation Rewards” program, home water use reports and a platform for new technologies, H2Oscore is changing how utilities and their customers interact.
It is easy to imagine a world in which we all turn off the water when we brush our teeth. But the bigger challenge is the 12 percent of water that is simply lost to leaks, drips and cracks in our pipes. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, one out of every 10 homes leaks more than 90 gallons of water per day. Solving that problem requires the participation of water utilities, the collaboration of organizations like MPC, innovative technology platforms like H2Oscore and empowered citizens who share a commitment to community sustainability.
Over the past year, we have rolled out H2Oscore in four communities in Southeast Wisconsin. The results have been inspiring. In Whitewater, residents used real-time water data to cut their consumption by an average of 40 gallons per day during a three-month period last summer. In Waukesha, more than 500 households are now tracking their water use online, helping that community meet its conservation goals and secure access to a sustainable water supply. In Milwaukee, twenty local businesses volunteered to redeem Conservation Rewards for in-store credit to reward residents for saving water in their homes. The Village of Grafton became the first community to ratify an agreement with H2Oscore through its Village Board.
In 10 years, we will take for granted our ability to track our water use in real time on our phones, tablets and computers, whether we are at home or being warned of a leak while on vacation. It will be considered normal that our local businesses are seen as responsible stewards of our natural resources and key collaborators in our sustainability efforts. Between now and then, our community leaders will need to continue to step forward and offer a vision for achieving these goals. We must be engaged with the water that we use.
McGee Young is an Associate Professor of Political Science at Marquette University in Wisconsin. He received his Ph.D. from Syracuse University in 2004 and is the author of Developing Interests: Organizational Change and the Politics of Advocacy. His company, H2Oscore, helps water utilities engage their customers using online water use dashboards and a rewards program to motivate residents to conserve.