The existing products in the water offset marketplace industry are either on the water impact measurement side, devices that measure a home’s water use, or on the water conservation side. The Yara team recently spoke with a Southern Nevada Water Authority Conservation Programs Administrator named Toby, who is heavily involved in water conservation programs for Lake Mead, Nevada. Lake Mead has gained notoriety in the news as a major dying freshwater source, and if Lake Mead dries up completely, Las Vegas would lose 90% of its freshwater sources. This has led to local governments in southern Nevada to offer tax rebates and other incentives to residents to decrease their freshwater use. The team discusses current policies in place to save water and what technologies are the most encouraged by local governments. The team learned from Toby that the largest source of water loss in residential areas is not water inside the home, but instead water being used outside for irrigation of the lawn and fauna. As a result, monitoring both indoor and outdoor water usage is important to better assess water consumption.
With this in mind, the team investigated several monitoring technologies on the market and how many are significantly offset by generous tax rebates. This discussion ultimately leads the Yara team to develop solutions that consider the comprehensive water use of an individual, in the form of our water bill calculator.
