Revision #5Recommend a SolutionFork
There are a number of ways households can save on water expenses and store additional water capacity in the event of a natural disaster. However, the incentives are not always enticing enough to persuade people to make investments in rainwater harvesting systems, or more efficient water saving technology in general. This is a problem because water hogs can continue consuming more water despite the fact that they paying for every litre they consume. Adapting to climate change is going to require people to make smart investments in water saving technology so that when disasters do happen, the collective impact will be reduced. An app can be developed that collects information about the existing inventory of water saving technology in a jurisdiction and demonstrate the water saving potential of such technology matched up against conventional systems. By showing people comparative household water efficient technology and the amount that can be saved both in use and in dollars can take us one step further into adapting to climate change and thinking about household water sustainability. This app could be popular through online social media sites such as Facebook, or even a collection of Twitter feeds or blog posts.
Example:
In the North American context, conventional showerheads can spew out as much as 17 litres per minute; low flow showerheads cut that usage by half. Do people know the differences in usage in low flow showerheads versus conventional or conventional 13 litre flush toilet versus a half flush toilet of 6 litres? If people were given the opportunity to use technology to fidget around with through different scenarios using the app, they could see how rainwater harvesting systems for example, are beneficial from an environmental and economic perspective. So many people are using Facebook these days, and if given the chance to learn more about how people can save money and reduce usage through water saving technology, there could be a wave of success. When people start to receive information about the clear advantages of water saving technology, demand for such products will increase and force entrepreneurs to innovate leading to a proliferation of even more technology to lessen the impact of water demand on the system.
User Stories:
When droughts or floods to occur, households will probably be panicking about securing clean and secure water so as to ensure that they can provide enough for their immediate needs. To avoid such chaos in the event of drought or flood, let’s create a tool that allows people to plan --through flexible and imaginative means – using an app called “water saving tech” which can be readily accessible on Facebook or through a program that starts to engage people.
Constraints:
People may not be interested in this app if the city they are living in does not have water meters. Thus, for cities that do have water meters, this app could prove to be popular. Those that do not will require collaboration which could be challenging.
Similar Projects and Resources:
Environment Canada Wise Water use
http://www.ec.gc.ca/eau-water/default.asp?lang=En&n=F25C70EC-1
Next Steps and Sustainability:
A good first step would be to consolidate information from existing websites such as Environment Canada’s “Wise Water Use”. The information about water saving technology on this site would benefit from being promoted through more popular sources such as Facebook, Twitter, popular blogs and environmental web pages.
Problem Definition Category:
Comments
Rainwater Hogs sold by a