While most people would ideally like to use less water in their homes, it’s hard to measure how successful you are on a day-to-day basis. Sure, your water bill lists your total usage each month and compares it to previous periods, but it doesn’t tell you where that water went. How much water is used for showers, irrigation, or potential leaks? If we really want to get better at saving, more specific reporting is key, and now there are tools to help.

There are two ways water leaves your pipes: intentionally and through a leak. Smart valves and sensors look for these leaks and stop them when they occur by turning off the water and reporting 1/10 of a gallon less than where you’ve used your water. There are a few options for this technology: A few of the more popular ones are the Moen Flo, Phyn, Kohler H2Wise, and Flume 2. These devices are professionally installed along your water line near the shutoff valve (Phyn can be installed by yourself) and then synced via WiFi to an app on your phone. They report in real time where the water is going, using algorithms to identify the water’s destination: toilet, shower, kitchen, pool, irrigation, etc. Every night it pressure tests to make sure there are no leaks. If there is a sudden unexpected use of water, the app contacts you and you can either approve it or it will turn off the water to prevent leaks or water damage.

First, Flo spends a week learning your water usage and establishing a baseline of how much water you use and what is typical for your household. I was using between 500-700 gallons per week during peak irrigation season. When I learned that, I realized I had no idea if that was a good amount or not, which indicates how far off I was from my own water usage. Once Flo completes the training period, the app will set a goal for you and give you updates on how you are meeting those water usage goals.

For the first few days, I was intrigued by the reporting tools on Flo. If the app misidentifies water usage, you can correct it, and over time I noticed that Flo got better at identifying where my water was going. Once a week, Flo would send me a report on how I was doing, and I was able to identify a few places where I could reduce my water usage (like turning the water off while I was washing dishes by hand). It was helpful to see how much water a water pad outside for my dog was using. Since my irrigation was turning off at odd times, I also got a real taste of what it’s like when Flo thinks there’s a water leak. In addition to an email and a text message, I got an actual phone call. If I hadn’t responded to one of the outreach messages, Flo would have simply turned the water off and I could have turned it back on with the button on the physical unit or my app, but I appreciated how hard they worked to alert me. Even though we are heading into the hottest part of summer, I have been able to reduce my water usage by about 15% by being more conscious about where I spend my water.