(San Luis Obispo, CA—May 10, 2023) – Flume, the company that brings connectivity and intelligence to residential water usage, is thrilled to announce a new partnership with Rain Bird Corporation. Together, the companies will deliver a new generation of whole-home water management solutions to help homeowners and water agencies achieve substantial water savings.
By combining Flume’s easy-to-install smart home water monitoring technology with Rain Bird’s market-leading irrigation controllers, property owners and water agencies will be able to track water usage down to the drop from irrigation to indoor appliances. The collaboration will also enable homeowners and water agencies to establish firm water usage goals and improve water management abilities.
Flume’s smart home water monitor reports water use by appliance and fixture, allowing users to measure water use in real-time, while Rain Bird’s smart controllers automatically adjust watering schedules based on weather conditions to reduce overwatering. The partnership will link Rain Bird’s controllers with Flume’s water monitor capabilities, allowing homeowners to quantify the savings generated by using Rain Bird’s Smart controller features. The combined system will also measure water usage by irrigation zone to improve the accuracy of irrigation adjustments. These features will be available to the homeowner via each company’s mobile app.
A pilot study concluded that homes equipped with both a Flume smart home water monitor and a Rain Bird Smart controller reduced their outdoor water consumption by an impressive 25 percent or more, with many homes showing a 40 percent reduction in irrigation water use.
“Up to this point, there were limited ways to measure irrigation water usage and the water savings created by the use of smart controllers,” says Eric Adler, Flume co-founder. “But through our partnership with Rain Bird, we can measure actual irrigation water usage, not estimates, which gives a much more accurate picture of both real and potential water savings. It also offers the user peace of mind, as the two devices working together can detect irrigation leaks and even specify where the leaks are in the irrigation system.”
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that 14 percent of all water supply is lost after the water meter, meaning homeowners may be billed for unknown leaks either inside or outside the home. Rain Bird’s smart controllers partnered with Flume’s whole-property water monitoring will help homeowners mitigate this water loss.
“Both Rain Bird and Flume are keenly aware of and focused on the need to conserve water,” says Jed Price, director of Rain Bird’s Contractor Business Unit. “As a 90-year-old company founded on The Intelligent Use of WaterTM, Rain Bird has taken and will continue to take proactive steps to optimize irrigation in order to allow homeowners, companies and communities to enjoy outdoor landscapes while minimizing water consumption. This partnership will set the stage for homeowners to take full control of their entire water consumption while nurturing an optimized landscape, and protecting one of their community’s most precious resources.”
The paired products will be available through both companies’ traditional sales channels, including online, and will also be available to utilities and water retailers for specific programs. Rain Bird will also offer the products for sale to homeowners through professional irrigation contractors, making installation even easier for homeowners.
About Flume
Inspired by California’s 2015 record-breaking drought, Flume empowers homeowners to better understand their use and conserve water. By providing real-time water use information, Flume protects the home, puts the power of water consumption and conservation in the customer’s hands, and improves the relationship with our most precious resource. The Flume® Smart Water System consists of an easy-to-install sensor that adapts to most existing home water meters, which communicates water use to the homeowner in real-time. To date, Flume has tens of thousands of devices installed across the United States. Learn more at www.flumewater.com.
