Challenge
The owner of a one-acre residential site in Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., wanted to reduce high water bills.
Solution
The homeowner hired Blue Watchdog Conservation, Inc., of Cardiff, Calif., to improve outdoor water-use efficiency. The company installed a web-based irrigation controller with flow sensors, and it retrofitted sprinklers that were part of a 20-year-old system. Blue Watchdog also added a sub-meter to the irrigation system for mainline leak detection, and it collaborated with the onsite gardener. Water use is tracked each month and reported to the homeowner.
Results
The homeowner saved $1,193 on water bills in 2012.- Water use was 67 percent lower than the historical average in December 2012.
- Water savings averaged 40 percent over a one-year period compared to historical use.
- Twelve leaks were detected and immediately fixed over a three-year period.
- The project yielded a return on investment in 18 months.
