Design and Architecture
Micro Solutions to Macro Water Challenges
Faced with a historic drought, Governor Jerry Brown has mandated a 25% cut in urban water use statewide -- and Californians are flooding him with big ticket ideas for bringing in more water from elsewhere. But how about small, local, actions that could make a large impact?
By Frances Anderton • • 1 min readFaced with a historic drought, Governor Jerry Brown has mandated a 25% cut in urban water use statewide -- and Californians are flooding him with big ticket ideas for bringing in more water from elsewhere. But how about small, local, actions that could make a large impact? That’s the goal behind the design of apps empowering individuals to be careful guardians of their water use.
Jason Aramburu is a soil scientist and founder of a company called Edyn, which just released its first product: a soil sensor that connects to a smartphone application, designed by Yves Behar. It helps you gauge your soil’s health and moisture levels.
Another App, Hazel, being developed by Arid Lands’ Hadley Arnold and team, will create a digital map of Los Angeles broken down into areas for different kinds of rainwater capture.
Walker Wells of Global Green explains how these approach differ from 20th century water delivery systems---and how they may help us take ownership of our water use in the future.
