We believe our communities should have healthy, attractive landscapes that are efficiently irrigated. Typically, 30 to 40% of all water used at commercial and public urban landscapes is wasted. Through better monitoring, education, mindfulness and collaboration, we can do better.
Success centers on people. New irrigation technologies and water-efficient plants can help, but first and foremost we need knowledgeable and motivated people to proactively manage the landscape.
This is where we come in.
What We Do
For each site, we calculate & compare actual water use to a budget benchmark based on site-specific characteristics & real-time weather. Updates each billing period help customers & landscape managers track their progress and get feedback on their actions.
Our internal algorithms analyze water use patterns and provide customized site recommendations for improvements.
For targeted sites needing additional help, our irrigation experts conduct on-site landscape field surveys.
Most importantly, we get people to act toward the non-controversial goal of improving irrigation efficiency. Our innovative engagement tactics include peer comparisons, social contagion, progression, teamwork, and our published leaderboards.
Why Agencies Partner With Us
Efficiency Across Communities
Property managers and landscape contractors commonly oversee multiple sites in multiple communities.
Our online platform integrates all their participating sites — from all 35 communities we currently serve — into one dashboard. This consistency makes it easier for them to understand, monitor, prioritize, communicate, and act on solutions to improve irrigation efficiency.
Collaboration
Each water agency has different needs and resources. We cater our program to leverage and integrate with existing resources and policies.
Our Agency Web Portal provides a full range of collaborative features to target, market, assess, and communicate.
Water Savings at $50-300 per Acre Foot
On average, sites in the Waterfluence program reduce overwatering by more than 30%. Ours is one of the most cost-effective programs available.
Our program helps water agencies comply with state water-efficiency targets, implement best management practices, and meet local sustainability goals.
Appreciative Readers
Over 80% of our sites are actively viewed online by customers, property managers, HOA Board members, maintenance staff, and landscape contractors.
Smart Water Budget Programs
We partner with agencies to implement water budget rates where sites pay more for use over their calculated budget. This reinforces the practice of watering up to, but not beyond, the needs for healthy and attractive plants.
During drought, agencies can leverage water budgets to equitably ration scarce water supplies. In 2014, Waterfluence successfully partnered with the City of Santa Cruz to ration its landscape customers to just one third of their budgets in response to severe water shortage.
Dependable and Secure
We are committed to data privacy and security. We keep ourselves up and running with Amazon Web Services, one of the largest, most dependable web hosting and cloud storage services. It’s also used by Netflix, Comcast, Pinterest and NASA.
Our connections are 256-bit AES encrypted and our data centers are ISO/IEC 27001 certified.
Waterfluence is trusted by...
Who We Are
John Whitcomb, Program Director, is a behavioral scientist who has worked with over 100 water agencies on projects related to landscape irrigation, water efficiency, and software development. John holds a BA in economics and geography from the University of California, Santa Barbara and a PhD in geography and environmental engineering from the Johns Hopkins University. He loves to kayak on water saved by this program!
Chris Willig, Field Survey Manger, is a horticultural and irrigation expert with over 25 years of direct experience with large urban landscapes in California. He has personally completed over 800 Field Surveys totaling 9 square miles of landscaping. Chris has developed training programs, manuals, and tests for irrigation water management certification programs. Mr. Willig earned a BA in Biology from California State University, Northridge and a MS in Horticulture from the University of California, Davis. He is certified as Master Landscape Water Auditor in the State of California and as a Landscape Irrigation Auditor by the Irrigation Association.
Melissa Kunz, Communications Manager, handles communications and report distribution, and also wrangles with maps and website features. While working for a municipal water department, she led efforts to improve customers' understanding of water use and efficiency. Melissa has a BS in Earth Systems from Stanford University and enjoys trail running.
David Baker, IT Manager, works behind the scenes to keep our website running and data secure. Although most of his time is spent working with machines, he takes a real interest in making websites usable for people and loves the outdoors. David has a BS in Business Administration from the University of Colorado at Boulder.
Phone
1-800-800-9519
Waterfluence, LLC
PO Box 561
Menlo Park, CA 94025
