Water Research
The more we know, the more we can conserve.
After pioneering residential energy use and generation research, Pecan Street engineers invented a way to transform old, analog water meters into internet-connected devices that can identify what water is being used for and detect miniscule water leaks.
By harnessing the power of advanced technologies, cloud computing and data-intensive field research to accelerate water availability solutions, we’re turning imagination and innovation into a better future.
More than 25 water utilities and universities have joined forces with Pecan Street through the University Municipal Water Consortium, where together they are harnessing the power of advanced technologies, cloud computing and data-intensive field research to accelerate water conservation and availability solutions.
With the Austin Technology Incubator (ATI) Pecan Street launched the Water Technology Incubator to help companies commercialize technologies for the transportation, purification and distribution of water.
Companies that would like to test or verify their technology through Pecan Street’s Leak Detection, Measurement and Verification (LDMV) process can complete an online information request.
Spotlight – Pecan Street Blu
Imagine a smartphone app that can alert homeowners about a water leak. Or one that made it possible to track water use bill during the month.
That’s exactly what the Pecan Street Blu technology suite was designed to do, and it was made possible by technology invented at Pecan Street. Using wireless technology that taps into Pecan Street’s secure research database, the Blu technology converts legacy water meters into internet-connected leak detectors. Our Blu suite of products scale from individual homes to commercial properties and can help customers identify leaks and breaks before they become expensive disasters.
Other Pecan Street Water Initiatives
Energy Water Nexus – We conducted water use disaggregation study for Environmental Defense Fund that helped illustrate the connection between energy and water use.
Water Index Study – Our groundbreaking Blu suite of water use measurement technology allowed us to develop precise measurements of water use and identify flow signatures for various in-home water uses. So, even with an old analog water meter, our technology can tell the difference between a shower and a washing machine, or whether a 2 AM water leak is a broken sprinkler head or a leaky toilet.
Open Data for Water Managers – Funded by the Cynthia and George Mitchell Foundation, Pecan Street is developing an open water data protocol and management architecture for municipal water managers that provides a practical implementation toolkit for water utilities in support of the Aspen Institute’s Dialogue Series on Water Data and resulting report “Internet of Water: Sharing and Integrating Water Data for Sustainability.”
From this work, Pecan Street developed a Water Data Management toolkit, with input and guidance from members of the University Municipal Water Consortium.
The toolkit contains:
- Data standardization guidelines to ease the integration of disparate water datasets into a single, easily-queryable database. The guidelines contain a recommended data ontology format with a deliverable XML schema and sample JSON object for interoperability.
- A process manual to aid in implementation of the data standardization guidelines at water utilities
- Measurement and verification analysis guidelines to help water utilities use varying resolutions and types of data for water conservation program evaluation and planning.
Click below to download a PDF document explaining the toolkit or the toolkit files.
- Measurement and Verification Overview for Variable Datasets (PDF)
- Toolkit Files (.zip file)
