Listen to this articleiWater Tech is a startup that is focusing on using technology to simplify water conservation. Below is our recent interview with Simon Boag, Co-Founder of iWater Tech:
Q: Can you tell us something more about the company and what you do?
A: Our first product is a connected, retrofittable, smart shower system. We use an ultrasonic sensor that’s connected to a valve located behind your existing shower head. When you are directly underneath the shower head, we open the valve and give you full water flow, exactly the way you have it today and the way you like it. When you step back, or before you get in, we simply throttle back the valve and reduce the amount of water that is going down the drain. You don’t notice, because you’re not under the shower head and as a result, we essentially conserve water when you’re not looking. It’s fully automatic, it turns on when you turn on the water and we hope people will forget it’s even there. We don’t change the experience, we don’t ask you to change your behavior or do anything at all, we just conserve water.
We are seeing savings of 15 – 25% of the water used during an average shower and also the energy required to heat that water.
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Q: You’ve recently launched iWater Tech at CES 2020 in Las Vegas; could you tell us something more?
A: We have been working on this for the last 3 ½ years and CES 2020 in January was our first public debut. We could not have been happier with the response. We had a non-stop stream of people interested in the Product and what it does. From the established Bathroom Fixture manufacturers to Distributors to Hotels to Commercial Property Managers to the general public. It really reinforced the need for the Product.
Q: Why is now the time for technology solution like iWater Tech?
A: Water scarcity continues to grow as a pressing global issue. We’ve seen “Day Zero” approach at cities like Cape Town that have nearly run out of water, we can not continue using water the way we do.
The United Nations has identified Water Scarcity as one of the biggest Global threats facing us.
23.1 trillion gallons of water are used globally for showers (Source: Kantar World Panel; World Health Organization) and approximately only 50% of the time is spent directly under the shower head. On average, we save 3.5 gallons per shower. Globally, that’s the potential to conserve 5.1 trillion gallons per year!
Q: Who are your target customers and how are you bringing iWater to the market?
A: We are partnering with Utilities and Hotels initially as we bring the iWater Smart Shower to market. This is a perfect device for hotels interested in saving water but do not want to risk affecting the guest experience. iWater was designed for this!
The utilities love the Product because of the actionable data that they receive back from the units. The data allows them to reward their customers who conserve and allows them to plan for peak power and water usage periods. Very useful.
Q: What makes you stand out from your competition?
A: There are many different options out there to save water during showering.
There are low flow shower heads that have been on the market for years. This changes the experience as it feels like you are being hit by pins and needles. Not surprisingly, the biggest customers for this product are prisons, penitentiaries and schools.
There are other Products that aerate the water flow or change the drop size. All effective at reducing water flow but all of them change the experience.
There are other products that simply measure how much water you use and give you feedback on your consumption. Again, effective if people are aware and committed to changing their behavior.
iWater is the only Product currently on the market that doesn’t change the experience, doesn’t ask you to change your behavior but still conserves water.
Q: Tell us some more about the features of your product?
A: Of course, with all this technology, the iWater Smart Shower is connected. We collect and aggregate all of your shower data and present it to you in a useful and informative App. It tracks how much water you used, how much you saved, how much energy you used and saved, how long it takes for your water to heat up, how long the water ran before you got in, how long you were in high flow & low flow and what the average water temperature was of your shower. You will be able to get recommendations for ways to conserve more and be able to compare yourself to those in your neighborhood and across the nation if you like.
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Q: How easy is iWater to install?
A: The iWater Smart Shower is a retrofittable solution. It has been one of our design tenets from the beginning to make installation as easy as possible. As such, you don’t need to break tile, you don’t need to cut pipe and you certainly don’t need a plumber to install it. If you can unscrew your shower head, you can install the iWater Smart Shower.
We have a video on our website that shows the complete installation from start to finish and it only takes 2 minutes and 9 seconds.
Q: What are your plans for the future?
A: The Smart Shower is our first Product. We are working on a full suite of Products that Connect, Control and Conserve water at every point-of-use in the home. Toilets, sinks, washing machines, dishwashers, irrigation. All of these products are being developed with the same simplicity and ease-of-use without behavior change and without changing the experience as we have done with the Smart Shower.
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