Pluvia: Water Conservation Device for Showerheads

  • Team Novus: Jonathan Ko, Carolyn Ge

  • 2015-2016 Conrad Spirit of Innovation Challenge

faq

What is your innovative product/service?

Pluvia is an innovative device that attaches to a showerhead and gauges the temperature of the water being used. Frequently, people let the shower run until the water is too hot. Then, they have to turn the temperature setting in the other direction and wait until water reaches the desired temperature. Water flows first through Pluvia, where its temperature is measured, then through the showerhead. Using this feature, Pluvia allows people to set a preferred temperature, and then alerts them through an alarm when that temperature is reached, saving both time and water.

What problems is your product/service designed to solve?

The state of California is currently undergoing the most damaging drought in the last century. Almost half of the state is rated to be in Exceptional Drought, the highest drought level, by the Pacific Institute California Drought Response Group. 31% of household water use can be attributed to showering. People often turn on the shower and let it run until the water is warm. However, the water is frequently too hot by the time people return and check, so they have to waste time and water waiting for the water to reach the preferred temperature. Pluvia counteracts this wastage.

What are the key features of your product/service that make it special?

Pluvia helps conserve water and fight drought by making sure that people do not let showers run for longer than necessary. A major component of it is a temperature-sensing mechanism that measures how hot the shower water is. A simple computer is also involved so that the user can input a desired temperature. These two parts combine to form the heart of the device. Pluvia is designed to fit between the showerhead and the shower wall outlet, similar to how a washer can fit between two gears. This results in an unobtrusive product that does its job with no drawbacks.

How is your product/service innovative and different from other product/services intended to solve the same problems?

After extensive research, our team found that the only comparable technology on the market exists as part of personalized shower services. This sort of technology uses temperature checking as an element of an extremely expensive at-home spa experience. Our product is superior because instead of installing a completely new shower system, buyers need only attach Pluvia to the showerhead, making it much more versatile than the current options. Additionally, we plan for Pluvia to cost less than $50, while at-home spa service fees can climb upwards of $3000, making our product much more affordable and appealing to the average buyer.