As triple-digit temperatures begin to creep into Fresno forecasts, the city is allowing lawns and gardens to be watered more often. At the same time, City Hall hopes residents take an active role in keeping water use on a tight leash.
That’s where a new digital tool promoted by the city comes in. EyeOnWater shows a customer’s real-time water use, along with consumption history that can be broken down by year, month, day, week, or hour.
The new watering rules went into effect June 1. Three-times-a-week watering will remain in place through October.
Fresnans are now allowed to water three times a week, up from the twice-a-week restriction in April and May, and from the once-a-week rule November through March. Homes with addresses ending in odd numbers (1, 3, 5, 7, 9) are permitted to water on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. Residents with addresses ending in even numbers (0, 2, 4, 6, 8) can water on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays.
Free App for Android or Apple Phones Available
No watering is allowed on Mondays or on any day between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m.
The new watering rules went into effect June 1. Three-times-a-week watering will remain in place through October. Once-a-week watering returns November through March, then opens back up to thrice a week in April.
City Hall unveiled the EyeOnWater app in March. Residents who want to use the tool need to provide their home’s street number, along with the account number on their utility bill. EyeOnWater is available online at fresno.eyeonwater.com/signup. Phone apps for Apple- or Android-based phones can be downloaded at the platforms’ respective app stores. The app is free.
App Also Can Detect Leaks — Sort Of
EyeOnWater essentially provides visual feedback of a resident’s water consumption and habits, using data from the home’s water meter. Users can plug in details about the property (square footage watered, hours of irrigation per week, etc.) to help the app determine benchmarks for water use, e.g. 220 gallons a day.
There’s also a “leak detection” feature, though an explanation on the app’s parent site notes that’s not really what’s happening. What EyeOnWater can do is flag a user-determined amount of water running continuously for 24 hours. It might be a leak, it might not. And the app can’t tell you where it’s coming from.
Finally, the app offers a list of steps residents can take to save water, ranging from shorter watering times from lawns and gardens to shorter showers. It estimates how many gallons per year each measure could save.
