A Smart Water Management System for Detecting Household Water Wastage

¹ Student, Strathmore University, School of Computing and Engineering Sciences, Nairobi, Kenya
² Lecturer, Strathmore University, School of Computing and Engineering Sciences, Nairobi, Kenya
³ Visiting Asst Professor, University of Cincinnati, School of Information Technology, Ohio, USA
⁴ Asst Professor, University of Cincinnati, School of Information Technology, Ohio, USA

^* Corresponding author: janice.gichuhi@strathmore.edu

Abstract

Water scarcity in Kenya is a significant issue that cannot be overlooked. Despite numerous efforts by Water Service Providers to deliver water services to Kenyan residents, the high demand for accessible water across the country remains unmet. In addition, the service provider’s ability to meet this demand is further impeded by various obstacles including inadequate control over water usage, insufficient resources to manage and conserve water, and the dilapidated water infrastructure within the nation. While attempts have been made to try and address these concerns, they’ve been largely manual and expensive hence lacking the potential for scalability. Globally, water resources continue to decline rapidly due to the impact of climate change and water overuse, therefore action must be taken to conserve this resource. This study investigates the development of a smart water management system using water flow sensors connected directly to the water appliances that integrate with the existing water system, Node MCU microcontrollers and a cloud-based application. The solution focuses on monitoring household water usage frequency to inform users of their consumption and alert them via mobile notifications of potential water leaks to reduce wastage. Management and control of household water consumption is a positive contribution towards water conservation efforts.