Australia is the driest continent in the world after Antarctica - with 35 per cent of the continent receiving so little rain, it is classed as desert. Australians are familiar with drought and well aware of the need to conserve water, but day-to-day life often means that it's difficult to monitor household water consumption easily and alter usage habits.
John Berlese lives in Toowong, Brisbane, QLD, with his wife and three daughters and has recently benefited from an incredible reduction in his water bill through using Water Secure Co’s Smart Water Shutoff valve. It is installed on the incoming water line and protects and manages the entire property. The dedicated app gives the homeowner complete control over their water which includes tracking water usage by fixture, and turning off water remotely in the event of a leak.
John lives on a property that has a large garden, which was the reason he first purchased the Smart Water Shutoff valve, to enable him some control over the amount of water used by his watering and irrigation system.
John explains, “I enquired about the product with my garden in mind and decided to try it out. The initial setup of the product was easy. A licensed plumber came out and installed it and then we just had to set up the app on the mobile phone, which my wife did with ease.
“The feature I like the most is that it cuts off the water after a certain consumption amount. I would usually have a $3,500- $4,000 water bill quarterly, but for the next bill it has been reduced by at least 25 per cent if not 50 per cent because of the Smart Water Shutoff valve, which is welcome in a family of five with four girls who spend a lot of time in the shower.”
By having insight into his household water consumption John is able to limit usage and change habits, which would previously have led to a hike in his water bill. Another benefit is that should there be a leak, you can trust the technology to automatically cut off the supply, preventing flooding and also reducing insurance costs.
John adds “I work in construction and I’m trying to organise products on all sites with our incoming houses to monitor any water leaks remotely. I’m definitely feeling more confident with regards to potential leaks and as such, it's important to have another mechanism to monitor consumption.”
Marcus Fantl, Co-founder of WaterSecure Co says: “It’s great to see this product in use and our customer benefiting financially from day one. One of the best things about the product is how easy it is to use. Homeowners and business customers can download the free Flo app to have complete control over the water in their home so that they will always know what is going on, from pipe leaks and taps left on, to monitoring holiday homes and managing consumption during summer water restrictions. Living in a drought-stricken country, we know how important it is to save water and the product’s smart technology quickly learns the unique water footprint of your home to better identify water usage irregularities putting you back in control.”
The Flo Smart Water Shutoff valve retails at $899.00 and the Flo Smart Water Detector retails at $99.00. Both products are also available to buy now, pay later on Zip Pay.
