REDMOND, OR -- A new online monitoring tool launched in Redmond this month allows residents to monitor the amount of water they use, down to the hour.
Mayor George Endicott says the new AquaHawk system is part of a city-wide effort to better manage resources, especially during drought conditions. "What this does is it gives you, as the consumer, direct access to your own information. So, you can go in there and look at your water usage summer to winter, day to night, and so forth. The other thing that this system – one of the real powerful pieces – is that it can notify you by email, by text, or even by voice, if you have a leak." It also tracks daily temperatures and rainfall
Redmond’s AquaHawk is the first of its kind in Central Oregon. "It can monitor your system in your normal usage. If it sees an anomaly, i.e. a dripping faucet – you know, that can be many gallons a day. And so, if all of a sudden your water usage goes up, you get a notification that says ‘your water usage has gone up’ and that prompts you then to go look and see what’s going on," Mayor Endicott tells KBND. "Plus, over and above that, you can monitor your own water usage as you see fit, so you can say ‘well, OK, I’m sprinkling 15 minutes a zone on my lawn; if I cut back to 10, what impact does that have?’"
Redmond installed an automated electronic metering system several years ago, doing away with the need for manual meter-readers. That allowed the city to rollout AquaHawk for just $10,000; $90,000 less than what was initially budgeted.
Redmond residents can sign up for the free service HERE.
