SINGAPORE: About 300 families at West Rock@Bukit Batok will move into new homes that come fitted with a smart shower device later this year.
In a news release on Saturday (Mar 17), national water agency PUB said these units are the first batch of homes that the agency has outfitted with the smart shower devices.
These gadgets will provide residents with real-time information on water usage during showers via a numerical display, and residents can also set water conservation goals and monitor their water usage history via a mobile application.
Later this year, PUB said it will also deploy a different device for other Built-to-Order (BTO) projects. Instead of a numerical display, the device will display colour codes on the showerhead to indicate varying consumption levels.
Following West Rock@Bukit Batok, smart shower devices will be installed progressively in new developments such as Meadow Spring, Toa Payoh Apex and Buangkok Park Vista. Families who have opted for sanitary fittings under the Housing & Development Board’s (HDB) Optional Component Scheme will receive the device.
The My Nice Home Roadshow organised by HDB at Hong Kah North Community Club, Mar 17 2018. (Photo: Deborah Wong)
The latest PUB study on water consumption in 2016/2017 showed that showering constitutes the highest water usage in a household. As part of its water conservation efforts, PUB will install smart shower devices in about 10,000 new BTO homes by end 2019.
PUB Director of Water Supply Network, Ridzuan Ismail said that there is “potential to achieve water savings” if “behavioural changes can be motivated by providing real-time information”.
“We want to study the results of using such devices, and see if it can be adopted on a larger scale in future. This would also encourage suppliers to improve the features of existing devices in the market, and leverage economies of scale to provide customers with more options for such devices in future,” he added.
PUB launched the Smart Shower Programme following encouraging results from a trial conducted in 2015 with 500 households.
Results showed that households could save about five litres of water per person per day during showers, when provided with real-time water usage information coupled with optimal goal setting. PUB said this can potentially help households save around 2 per cent of their monthly water usage.
Channel NewsAsia understands that the ideal usage level for each individual is 15 litres, and that the device allows users to set and keep to their usage goals.
A smart shower device on display at the My Nice Home Roadshow organised by HDB, Mar 17, 2018. (Photo: Deborah Wong)
A new resident of West Rock@Bukit Batok, Caroline Huang said: “As we move into our new home, we are keen to try out the device to see if it can help us monitor our water use during showers and save water. Water is a precious resource, and we hope to do our part in using water wisely.”
Mrs Huang and her husband spend up to S$40 monthly on water bills. With two toddlers in tow, the young couple hope to save around S$10 with a new smart shower device.
PUB said the entire smart shower demonstration project, from device deployment to data analysis, is expected to take at least three years. The agency encouraged members of the public who are interested to use these devices to purchase them online.
