Singapore is harnessing its smart nation prowess to nudge its citizens in the right direction.

This newfound intelligence is being put to good use to help citizens be more conscious of their water usage, where new ways are being experimented with to motivate Singaporeans.

Smart Shower Programme

A Smart Shower Programme is now being carried out in earnest.

Some 300 families will get to try first-hand a new and novel approach to saving water.

The new Build-to-Order flats at West Rock@Bukit Batok will come fitted with a smart shower device.

How it works

Singapore's National Water Agency (PUB) will be installing smart shower devices in up to 10,000 new homes over the next two years.

These devices are essentially no-frills water consumption monitoring devices that are attached to the shower facility in the bathroom.

Amazingly, they are not battery-operated, as they are powered by the regular flow of water that drives the devices in-built turbines.

There are currently two types of devices on the market that serve the same function: Show in real-time exactly how much water is being used.

One of the devices works by attaching it to a regular shower head:

It will indicate the amount of water used each time, while monitoring the temperature of the water.

Another device will start to change colour as water consumption increases:

Users can even use an interactive app on their smartphones, tablets and laptops to monitor their progress in reducing water usage, as well as set targets to meet.

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Why do these devices work?

In the past, in the absence of such devices, ignorance is bliss by virtue of not knowing how much water one is using on a daily second-by-second basis, which allows over-consumption.

Monthly utility bills also fail to discourage certain behaviours and habits as the feedback of the costs of consumption are reflected only once per month.

But with a real-time provision of data, feedback is immediate and actions can be corrected on the go.

Showering typically comprises about 30 percent of a household’s monthly water consumption.

An earlier trial showed that households can save about five litres of water a person a day when provided with real-time information on water usage during showers.

This could help households save about 3 percent of their monthly water bill.

Top photo via screenshot of Amphiro AG & HYDRAO YouTube videos

This sponsored article was brought to you by PUB, Singapore's National Water Agency to remind you that every drop of water counts.