Transforming Water Conservation Through Data-Driven Customer Engagement at San Antonio Water System (SAWS)

About San San Antonio Water System (SAWS)

San Antonio Water System (SAWS) is a public utility serving one of the most drought-prone cities in the United States. With a growing population and limited water resources, SAWS has been at the forefront of water conservation efforts for decades.

However, by 2016, the utility recognized the need to modernize its approach to customer engagement and water conservation. This led to the implementation of VXsmart, formally WaterSmart, a customer engagement and data analytics platform designed to provide detailed insights into water usage and improve conservation outcomes.

The following case study outlines the journey SAWS undertook to implement VXsmart, the challenges they faced, and the measurable results they eventually achieved during and after their Advance Metering Infrastructure (AMI) rollout.

The Challenge

Prior to the implementation of VXsmart, SAWS was already a leader in water conservation efforts, particularly given San Antonio’s arid climate and recurring drought conditions.

The utility was using traditional methods to communicate with customers, such as monthly bills, periodic conservation messaging, and in-person irrigation consultations. However, these methods were less data-driven, relying on static, monthly data.

The main problem was that SAWS couldn’t detect real-time water use issues like leaks, over-irrigation, or excessive use until after bills had been issued, leaving little room for immediate customer intervention.

SAWS had long been recognized for its leadership in water conservation, and in 2016, the utility saw an opportunity to further bolster its efforts using data and customer engagement. As a highly data-driven utility, SAWS wanted to use technology to provide more immediate feedback to customers and further encourage efficient water use.

SAWS sought to address several key issues:

1. High Water Consumption During Droughts: The utility saw spikes in water use during hot, dry years, particularly from residential irrigation systems and commercial properties. High outdoor water use threatened to strain water supplies, especially during drought conditions.
2. Lack of Real-Time Data: Prior to VXsmart, SAWS relied on monthly billing cycles to detect water usage problems, such as leaks or over-irrigation. By the time these issues were discovered, customers were receiving high bills and water waste had been occurring.
3. Limited Customer Engagement: Traditional methods of customer communication, including printed materials and occasional water audits, engaged customers but new tools allowed for increased customer engagement.. Customers had limited access to data on their water use, making it difficult for them to take early corrective action when an issue would arise.
4. Need for Efficient Resource Management: SAWS wanted to improve water conservation efforts They sought a way to encourage behavior change through education and proactive engagement.

The Solution

In 2017, SAWS began to pilot VXsmart, an advanced customer engagement platform that provides data on individual customer water consumption, promotes conservation, and enables customers to view usage. Once AMI was established customers had access to hourly data and were able to take immediate action to address water use issues, like leaks and over-irrigation.

Key Features of the VXsmart Implementation

• Behavioral Insights: Personalized reports help customers better understand their water usage patterns and equip them actionable recommendations to improve efficiency.
• Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI): Gradual installation of smart meters across the city provides granular, hourly data on water use, enabling more precise monitoring and timely intervention.
• Data Access: Customers receive detailed reports on their water use, allowing them to see how their consumption compares to neighbors and how it fluctuates over time.
• Leak Detection: Real-time leak detection alerts to customers when continuous water use is detected, helping them address issues quickly and reduce waste.
  Irrigation Monitoring: Customers alerted to unusual irrigation if they were watering on non-permitted days or using excessive amounts of water.

Particulars of VXsmart Implementation

Pilot Program and Early Testing:

During the initial rollout, SAWS worked with VXsmart to create a robust testing process. Utilizing control groups (customers who didn’t receive reports) and treatment groups (those who did), they were able to measure the true effectiveness of the platform. SAWS focused heavily on measuring water savings, customer behavior changes, and customer engagement.

Pilot Program Key Findings:

In the pilot, SAWS found that customers who received VXsmart reports were more likely to reduce their water use compared to the control group. The savings were especially significant for those with high outdoor water use, as the reports made them more aware of how their irrigation habits impacted their bills.

Focus on Residential Customers:

VXsmart’s interface provided personalized water use reports to residential customers. The platform compared their usage to similar households and included suggestions for improving water efficiency. Customers could also log into the VXsmart portal to view their hourly water use, check for anomalies, and receive alerts about potential leaks.

Irrigation Monitoring:

One of the most critical features implemented through VXsmart was irrigation monitoring. Once AMI was deployed SAWS used a manual process to notify customers if they were watering on the wrong day (San Antonio has strict watering schedules based on addresses) or too many days per week.

Within the first 7-10 days of sending these notifications, about 50% of customers adjusted their watering practices, reducing the number of days they watered their lawns.

Utilizing the Irrigators last week list from VXsmart and other internal reports, SAWS was able to generate a list of customers who appear to be watering more than what is allowed under current drought rules. For example, during drought customers are allowed to water once a week, but if irrigation was detected on multiple days, then an email was sent to inform the customer. This led to compliance from a large number of customers without the use of fines or punitive measures.

Leak Detection and Notifications:

The integration of AMI meters further enhanced this feature by allowing SAWS to detect leaks in near real-time and provide more immediate responses to customers.

SAWS set a leak threshold of 5 gallons per hour for 48 consecutive hours for residential customers. When this threshold was met, customers received automated notifications through VXsmart.

SAWS has also rolled out a number of other tools to assist customers when they have continuous use, from a dedicated webpage (www.SAWS.org/leak) to personalized outreach to customers with high volumes of continuous use. These tools, along with VXSmart, help customers better understand their use, identify and fix leaks, and reduce both water loss and the impact on their bill.

The Results

The implementation of VXsmart led to significant improvements in water conservation, customer engagement, and operational efficiency at SAWS. Key outcomes include:

Increased Water Savings:

By providing data and insights to customers, SAWS saw an overall decrease in household water consumption for those in the pilot program, particularly among "super users" that had high outdoor usage or leaks.

Less Water Use and Waste:

During the first phase of implementation, manual notifications utilizing available reports related to excessive irrigation led to a 50% reduction in non-compliant watering within 7-10 days. This immediate impact underscored the power of timely data in changing behavior.

These timely notifications led to more immediate reduction in water use helped prevent unnecessary strain on water resources during drought periods.

Faster Leak Response:

Leak detection significantly cut water waste by alerting customers to continuous water flow issues within hours, shortening the time it took customers to respond to leaks by up to 8 hours for each additional communication channel (phone, text, or email).

By shortening the leak detection-to-repair cycle, SAWS prevented thousands of gallons of water from being wasted and proactively lowered high bills due to leaks. This was a significant improvement over the previous system, where customers often didn’t discover leaks until they received a high bill at the end of the month.

Improved Customer Engagement and Satisfaction:

SAWS noted an increase in customer satisfaction as customers appreciated the proactive approach to water management. The ability to monitor their water use, receive alerts, and avoid costly leaks gave customers more understand of and control over their water consumption.

Additionally, the program helped educate customers on sustainable water use, reinforcing the broader conservation ethos that SAWS promotes throughout the city. Many customers expressed that they felt “empowered” by the data, as it helped them understand their personal impact on water resources.

Fewer Citations, More Compliance:

The combination of timely data and proactive engagement reduced the need for punitive enforcement, such as citations for watering on non-permitted days. Customers responded positively to being notified and were more likely to comply with regulations voluntarily. This not only helped maintain community goodwill but also reduced the administrative burden on SAWS.

Behavioral Change in High Water Users:

SAWS targeted the top 5% of residential water users, who were responsible for 21% of total water consumption. SAWS introduced a surcharge for customers who exceeded 20,000 gallons of water per month during later stage drought restrictions. This approach successfully reduced water use among “super users” while minimizing the impact on the broader population.

Enhanced Data for Future Planning:

Use of VXsmart and AMI has equipped SAWS with a wealth of granular data to aid them in planning for future droughts more effectively, helping the utility forecast water use patterns, monitor the effectiveness of conservation efforts, and adjust policies accordingly.

Data from commercial properties also allowed SAWS to identify patterns in high water use sectors like irrigation for parks, sports fields, and large commercial buildings. Being more informed in these areas has allowed for more outreach and customer relationships to be built.

More Efficient Water Management:

With the integration of AMI and VXsmart, SAWS gained access to detailed water use data across its service area, allowing them to make data-driven decisions about water management and conservation policies. For example, they were able to pinpoint which customer segments or neighborhoods were using the most water and target them with specific conservation outreach and measures.

Lessons Learned

1. Real-Time Data Drives Behavior Change: Providing customers with timely data on their water use, combined with personalized insights and actionable recommendations, can significantly influence behavior and lead to meaningful conservation outcomes.
2. Customer Engagement is Key: Customer education and empowerment were more effective than punitive measures. By engaging customers proactively and giving them the tools to manage their water use, SAWS was able to achieve widespread compliance with conservation measures.
3. Technology Integration is Crucial: The integration of smart meters (AMI) and advanced customer engagement tools like VXsmart allowed SAWS to gather and act on data. This not only improved operational efficiency but also gave customers more control over their water use.
4. Tailored Solutions for Different Users: SAWS recognized the importance of segmenting their customer base, particularly in the commercial sector. In the future they hope to do more personalized outreach using commercial coding. Grouping accounts by usage type, they could better understand water consumption patterns and offer tailored solutions to different types of businesses.