WaterSmart Customer Portal Helps Detect Leaks & Track Use

By Rebecca Gold Rubin

The WaterSmart program is an easy way for Soquel Creek Water District customers to track usage and help use our limited water resources wisely.

WaterSmart provides customers with a modern digital portal to access detailed information about household water use, pay bills, and set up alerts. It can be accessed via your phone, tablet or computer. This innovative software helps residents and businesses to save money, use water efficiently, and quickly identify leaks.

Leak Detection

One of WaterSmart’s biggest benefits is helping customers identify leaks and other issues that can contribute to high water bills. By monitoring usage data through the WaterSmart portal, customers can quickly identify any spikes or irregularities in their water usage, which may indicate a leak or other problem. This allows customers to act quickly and avoid costly water bills.

By proactively managing leaks, customers can not only conserve water but also protect their property from potential water damage and avoid associated repair costs. You can sign up on the portal to receive notifications of unusual water use.

Efficient Water Usage

In addition to identifying leaks, WaterSmart can provide personalized recommendations to help District customers save money on water bills.

Recommendations may include adjusting irrigation schedules, fixing leaks, or making other small changes to reduce water consumption. These changes help conserve water, which is especially important in Santa Cruz County where water resources are limited.

Personal Use Reports

WaterSmart also generates personalized water-use reports based on a customer’s consumption patterns. The reports offer valuable insights into your water usage, comparing it to local averages and providing recommendations for improvement. By understanding how your consumption compares to others in your area, you can identify areas where you can use water more efficiently.

WaterSmart’s data-driven approach empowers individuals with knowledge they can use to make informed decisions and take action to improve efficient water usage. Customers can customize their Customer Portal profile through the Household Profile. You can find the Household Profile

Soquel Creek Water Vacancy

Bruce Daniels has resigned from the Soquel Creek Water District, effective June 19. Daniels, first elected in 2000, had a term ending in 2024. The board could schedule an election, which is costly, and opted to create an ad hoc committee of Carla Christensen and Tom LaHue to develop an application for people interested in the position. The board will interview all applicants on Aug. 8 and 9 in the evening. Interviews will be open to the public.

The last time this occurred was in 2016 when Rick Meyer died. The board interviewed a number of applicants and selected Rachel Lather, who remains on the board.

In 2003, Thomas LaHue was appointed, and he remains on the board. Human resources director Traci Hart told the board that they had to decide within 60 days on how to fill the vacancy, or the County Board of Supervisors could decide how to proceed. Manager Ron Duncan said past elections cost $60,000 to $70,000.

Any appointee will have the advantage of being the incumbent. n Information at www.soquelcreekwater. org/ in the drop-down menu under your name in the right-hand corner. Completing the Household Profile will improve the relevancy and accuracy of the water-use comparisons and recommendations you see in the portal.

Educational Resources

Inaddition to the data-driven reports, the WaterSmart portal provides a wealth of educational resources such as tips and guidelines on landscape irrigation and information on the many rebates the District provides.

Go Green

The WaterSmart portal is a one-stop shop.

“WaterSmart” page 27

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