One on One with Lisbeth Cabrera Spencer
By Gina Dostler
Marketing director Lisbeth Cabrera Spencer says drought isn’t the only reason we should be concerned about having enough water to drink. Water waste is another concern. Her company, Smart Utility Systems, or SUS, addresses the problem with technology used by utilities and consumers.
Q: What is the main concern with our water supply?
A: One is our aging infrastructure. Certain places in the east coast still have infrastructures that pre-date the Civil War and weren’t built with climate change in mind. For us on the West Coast, our infrastructure’s were built in the early 1900s with the main concern to save us from potential drought. We have problems like this all across the country. Field workers from the utility companies are being trained how to work with the outdated structures so they don’t break or lose water.
Q: And the other?
A: Consumers don’t know their actual water footprint. They may be aware of their water usage. But exactly how much water is being used is really not known. Electricity for example provides that information. Water companies do not. Data shows people don’t really look at their bill. In the U.S. there is 1 trillion gallons of water loss per year. And much of it comes from the home with leaky toilets and faucets.
Q: Where is the water loss?
A: Consumers are simply unaware of the amount of water being used. Many multi-family complexes have leakages but hard to track because there is no individual metering. Water running continually adds up fast, up to thousands of gallons a day. Leaky toilets are probably the worst reasons for water loss in the home.
Q: What is Smart Utility Systems (SUS)?
A: SUS is a cloud based technology company for water, gas, and energy with the aim to create a sustainable future for everyone. We’ve been in operation since 2009 and have created technology for every angle of the field: utility company, field workers and the consumer. The founder hails from India and sees energy and water as a precious resource. Collectively the whole company is a group of conservationists. We are passionate about sustainability and have 110 years of combined utility experience between us.
Q: What is your company doing to help the situation?
A: We are bridging the gap from end users to utilities with tools that provide information. For instance I can go online and view my bank account or my healthcare information. When I know more, I am more involved. By learning data on water usage on a daily, weekly and monthly basis, consumers become more involved on how much water is being used.
Q: How are you bringing customer and utility company together?
A: We have two ways to engage the customer with the utilities. One is called SCM, which puts an app in the hands of every utility consumer. Bill pay, communications, and water data would be available directly from phone or computer that links them to their utility company. The other is a free app called Smart H20 and is available to everyone. It allows people to report water waste, no matter where you are. Right now it is live anywhere in California.
Q: So how much water has been reported wasted in eight weeks?
A: There has been over 2,500 gallons reported and saved due to water run-off from sprinkler heads.
CONTACT INFORMATION
Lisbeth Cabrera Spencer
Marketing Director
Smart Utility Systems
19900 MacArthur Blvd. #370
Irvine, CA 92612
909-217-3344
info@smartusys.com
www.smartusys.com
