AqWatch by USC Innovative Engineers

The winner of the 2019 Queensland Government national GovHack waterwise challenge team USC Innovative Engineers proposed AqWatch, a device that monitors and displays water consumption.

AqWatch enables households to monitor daily and weekly water usage, as well as a comparison with community average consumption. This allows users to see spikes and where they can cut back, which is both an environmental benefit, as well as a personal financial benefit.

The Data

AqWatch proposed the use of the following datasets:

• SEQ Water - Weekly Water Security and Consumption Update
• Bureau of Meteorology - Queensland 7-day Forecasts
• SEQ Water - Dam Levels

The Benefits

The primary aim of this device is to allow people to become aware of their water usage, identify spikes in consumption, and in turn be more efficient in their use.

The device was designed for the public with a friendly user interface, displaying only the important information required in order to optimise water usage. Weekly summaries of this data will be sent to residents via email or post, and include personal household consumption trends, as well as regional and nationwide to see how they compare.

You can learn more about AqWatch on the GovHack Hackerspace.