City of Scottsdale - WaterSmart (2024)

Water use data from a water meter is encrypted and securely transmitted through Scottsdale’s Advance Metering Infrastructure (AMI). This same data is then displayed by WaterSmart for customer review.

Once a customer has AMI data, they can better manage their water usage. The goal of Scottsdale’s AMI network is to enhance customer service, increase water-use efficiency, and provide more options forcustomers to understand how they use their water.

Scottsdale is working diligently to give its customers more transparency on their water consumption by providing hourly water use data. Currently, most customers can only view their water use in monthlytotals. As of June 2023, approximately 50% of Scottsdale's water customers have access to hourly data. Scottsdale expects to transition most customers to AMI by June 2025.

To confirm you can only view monthly data in WaterSmart, click on the “Home” tab, then “View use.” If the top graphic is labeled “Overview” then you only have monthly data. If the top graphic has tabslabeled, “Hourly, Overview and Leaks” then you should have hourly data.

If you have multiple properties, you may have some with hourly and some with monthly water use data. Individual accounts without the associated infrastructure for data transfer cannot have hourly data untilthe AMI infrastructure is put in place.

Yes, there are opt-in notifications for Bill Forecast and Unplanned Use for AMI hourly customers.

1. Click the "Settings" dropdown menu and select "Account Settings"
2. Enter "Phone Number"
3. Click "Setting" and select "Communication Preferences"
4. Check off the box(es) for the notification(s) you would like to receive.

You can get messages via email, text and/or voice message. These notifications are regarding your water utility account, water use and utility announcements.

Note: A customer must op-in to these non-leak alert notifications in WaterSmart communication settings to receive them.

For specific meters this is a newly enabled automatic feature through the WaterSmart notification system. If you have a single-family residential water account and have an hourly AMI enabled meter, a leak notification will be sent viaemail or text if the system identifies a use of 8 gallons of water or more per hour for 72 or more consecutive hours. This exciting WaterSmart feature will notify homeowners of unusual water use and assist them in preventing unexpected,high water bills. AMI meter Infrastructure has been established for approximately 50% of accounts and more are being added every month.

Learn more about leak alerts by watching the WaterSmart Leak Alert Workshop. The workshop discusses how to determine if you have a smaller than current thresholdcontinuous leak as well as when “data unavailable” may prevent a leak alert from occurring and what to do about it.

Leak alerts are not yet activated for other types of accounts such as commercial or multifamily, but they are currently undergoing evaluation.

Note: A customer must check, “unsubscribe from all non-urgent WaterSmart communications” in WaterSmart communication settings to opt-out of leak alerts.

If your hourly data stopped displaying water use, there could be multiple causes. Water from rainstorms or excess irrigation in the meter boxes can disrupt signals and equipment may need a few days to dry out before signal transmissioncan be restored. Meter boxes may also fill with dirt, a transmitter battery may die, or critters may chew through wires disabling data transmission.

WaterSmart provides useful supplemental information like hourly data, but it is not used for billing purposes and is susceptible to intermittent outages. Continue to review your monthly utility statement for the total water use for thatmonthly billing cycle even if you signed up to receive water use notifications. You may want to conduct manual leak checks when data is not available.

If you find more than a week has passed without any hourly data and you have been using water, contact the Water Department at 480-312-5650 and request your WaterSmart data be restored. We request yourpatience for repairs as they are performed on a first-come, first serve basis and are dependent on supply availability.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates the average water use is 100 gallons per person per day, though it may go up and down depending on daily activities. Included in that 100 gallons per dayis irrigation, appliances, general consumption, etc. Approximate gallons for different activities:

• Laundry: 30-40 gallon per load
• 10-minute shower: 25 gallons
• Outdoor irrigation: 100 to 2,000 gallons per day, depending on the watering method and the system size.
• Outdoor irrigation is typically the largest water use in our desert environment. Consider signing up for a free Outdoor Water Efficiency Check by calling 480-312-5650. A Water Conservation Specialist will walk your property with you and show you ways to conserve water in your landscape. The customer must be present during the check, which can last up to 1.5 hours.

Oftentimes it is related to irrigation water use and/or a leak. Irrigation systems can vary significantly on how much water they apply to the landscape, even if they run the same length of time. Sometimesthere are indoor leaks, more visitors, or personal habits that can make a difference in water use.

For help on finding leaks, view instructions in the Smart Home Water Guide.