Rain may fall here and there in Southern California, but we all know that a few water drops aren’t nearly enough to fill our water reserves. So in light of one of the most serious droughts in our history, we do our part to conserve water while the rain clouds dawdle.

Most likely, we pay attention to the amount of water we use. However, to kick our water conservation efforts up a notch, we can also turn to our smart devices. Water-saving apps for mobile phones, tablets and laptops abound, and with a little downloading and accessing, we can get a but more help saving water around the house and in the yard.

 

Water-Saving Apps —

 

1. Waste No Water

This app allows users to photograph water wasters, such as leaky sprinklers, defective pipes, and faulty irrigation systems, and instantly GPS the address and problem to the Water Conservation Department for action. Launched by the City of San Diego, the app directs water waste complaints to the department, who after receiving the report, notifies the person responsible for the leak and provides him or her with information about San Diego’s water restrictions. The Waste No Water reports issues in real-time, and allows users to check complaint status and schedule a free water survey for their home or business.

• Platform: Android, iOs
• Cost: Free

2. Dropcountr

Dropcountr’s website poses a good question: How do you conserve 20% if you don’t know how much water you use now? Learn how much water you’re using and set benchmarks for conserving with this new web and mobile app that tracks water usage in real time and sends a usage warning to your device or smart phone if you’re nearing overuse. The app connects to local utility companies and water districts to help users track water consumption. In addition to the daily tracking feature, the app sends users alerts on rebates and other preventative water-waste actions. App downloaders can also take advantage of the utility poke, which locates your water district and contacts them requesting user data.

• Platform: iOs
• Cost: Free

 

3. Landscape Watering Calendar

This “app” is a little more simple than others you may use, but it gets the job done. A straightforward calendar allowing users to input a few specs gives a weekly schedule for the maximum amount of water  plants need each month of the year. Taking into account that everyone’s landscape is different, the calculator evaluates soil type, landscape area, and watering systems to return the correct amount of water to use for your backyard.

• Platform: Web
• Cost: Free

4. Waterprint

If you want to know how much of a “footprint” your water needs take, try this app. Waterprint lists how much water your dietary choices, household items and habits, and purchased products consume. For instance, are you wearing jeans right now? Waterprint explains that cotton, the main “ingredient” in denim, has a high water consumption footprint due to the growing and manufacturing process. The app also gives alternatives, detailing choosing jeans made with organic cotton will cut down on your water footprint. Use the calculator to itemize and add your water print and your eyes will widen when you learn how much water our daily living consumes, from how much water it takes to grow the one banana we eat to what we use when we brush our teeth.

• Platform: Web
• Cost: Free

 

5. Drip Detective

Want to know how much water that dripping sink or shower faucet wastes? Drip Detective to the rescue! The app tells you how much water (and money) is going down the drain by timing leaks or measuring volume, then calculating the cost of your water leak by day, week, month, and year.

• Platform: iOs
• Cost: Free

 

6. H2O Tracker

H20 Tracker makes water conservation fun by awarding points and prizes to users who correctly answer quiz questions such as whether more water is spent taking a bath or washing a car. Exceptionally user-friendly, H2O Tracker also shows your total water usage in gallons and dollars, compares that usage to others nearby, and gives you tips to help reduce water consumption. App developers added a “drought update” in 2014 that educates users about drought conditions and restrictions. Know someone who is a water hog? H2O Tracker encourages users to snap photos of water waste and report the violator to the city. Finally, the app will share local water district promotions, rebates, and offers.

• Platform: iOs, Android
• Cost: Free

 

7. Water Use Calculator

(Pretty much) instantly obtain your water footprint by answering this app’s questions about the people in your household, your laundry routine, what you do in the bathroom (from a washing perspective), how you water your lawn and whether you use a water softener or not. Based on your input, Water Use will calculate your daily, weekly, and yearly usage for baseline benchmarks. Exceptionally cool is that Water Use shows where you’re using the most water.

• Platform: iOs
• Cost: Free

 

Water-Saving Apps for Kids —

 

8. Captain Plop’s Water-Saving Mission

Get your kids interested in water conservation early through educational apps that teach the value of being water wise. Developed by the South Australian Water Corp., Captain Plop’s Water-Saving Mission is essentially a children’s story that share the adventures of Captain Plop, whose head naturally is water-droplet-shaped.

Kids follow Captain Plop as he travels the inside of a home’s pipes and teaches lessons on about how to save water with simple measures such as turning off the faucet while brushing teeth or taking short showers.

• Platform: iOs, Android
• Cost: Free

 

9. Erika Knows Green

This app teaches younger kids straightforward ways to be save water through their daily habits. Essentially an e-book, Erika Knows Green was developed to engage children under seven and teach the value of water conservation through a simple and colorful story.

• Platform: iOs, Android
• Cost: Free

 

Your Turn…

 

Under San Diego’s mandatory requirements, residents must limit lawn watering to no more than three days a week and use a shut-off nozzle on hoses or timed sprinklers. These restrictions go a long way to preserving our precious water resources. What do you do to conserve water that’s over and above the “drought alert” requirements?

Photos courtesy of: iOs App Store