Register for WaterSmart, a FREE online portal for all customers to help track and manage your water use.

Regístrese para WaterSmart, un portal en línea GRATUITO para ayudar a rastrear y administrar el uso del agua.

WaterSmart es disponible en español. Elija el idioma español en su configuración de WaterSmart.

 

WaterSmart Can Help You:
  • Find easy and effective tips to save water with step-by-step advice.
  • Learn how your water use compares to similar Milpitas households.
  • Find and fix possible leaks with automated notifications and email alerts.
  • Track your water use over time to see how you’ve become more efficient.
  • Understand where and when you are using the most water.
  • Step One: Log on Milpitas.WaterSmart.Com.
  • Step Two: Register your account number listed on your water bill.
    • Your account number is 7 digits, starting with 20
  • Step Three: Update your profile with your property’s unique characteristics.

FAQ

Where does the data for my water use come from?

Your water usage data comes from your new smart water meter and your water utility account. All publicly available information, like weather data, is added by WaterSmart.

Who am I compared to?

For residential accounts, your home is compared to other Milpitas households that have the same number of occupants and a similarly-sized yard. You can edit your Household profile to provide information about your household size, water-using appliances, landscaping and activities. Find the household profile link under the Take Action tab.

For commercial and multi-family accounts, your business’ water usage is compared to your accounts’ historical water usage.

What is GPD?

Water use is presented in the number of gallons per day (GPD), per day because it’s typically the easiest unit for people to envision and provides the best metric for comparison. On your water bill, you will water consumption is shown in CCF (equal to 748 gallons).

Why does my water use appear so high?

Increases in water use can be linked to changes made around your household and new water-using habits. Did you perhaps increase the number of people in your household, install new appliances, or start irrigating more? You can update your household characteristics in your profile for a more accurate evaluation of your water use.

WaterSmart also offers high-use notifications and leak alerts to notify you when your water use seems high than normal, or if your water use seems abnormal and suspicious, which would point to a possible leak.

I received a Leak Alert. What does this mean?

Leak alerts are automated notifications to let you know that your smart water meter detected a potential leak at your property. There are two types of leaks that are detected: continuous leaks and burst leaks.

Continuous leak alerts are sent when your smart water meter detects a continuous flow of water over a longer period of time. You will receive a continuous leak alert if your meter detects a flow of at least 5 GPH for over 72 hours.

Burst leaks are high volume leaks that occur over a shorter period of time. Burst leaks are commonly caused by broke or burst pipes and loose connections to high water-using appliances. You will receive a burst leak alert if your meter detects a flow of at least 74.8 GPH for over six hours. 

If you receive a leak alert, you can use the Leak Detection Tool in your WaterSmart Portal to look for the source of the leak. Additional leak detection resources are available here

I checked for a leak and wasn't able to find one. What should I do now?

Often times, appliances that require a continuous flow of water or irrigation systems might be flagged as a leak. If this is the case with your property, open our Leak Resolution tool in your portal and make sure to note that a leak was not found, and that the water use is linked to a certain appliance, irrigation system, or one-time situation. This will dismiss the leak alert.

If this is not the case, use our Leak Detection tool to walk through your property and check potential sources. Common sources of leaks include plumbing fixtures that aren’t used frequently, such as toilets and sinks in second bathrooms or guest houses.

If you are still unable to find the source, we recommend reaching out to a plumber or professional to identify and fix the leak.

I received a High Use Notification. What does this mean?

The High Use Notification is used to let you know that you are using more water than your historical average for the season. The High Use Notification is ideal if you are looking to actively track your water use and be alerted if you are use more water than usual. 

You can unsubscribe from receiving the High Use Notifications by logging into your WaterSmart Portal, clicking the Settings Tab, and selecting Communications Preferences. 

I received an Unplanned Use Notification. What does this mean?

The Unplanned Use notification is intended to be used for periods of time when you know you will not be using water. The alert is sent to you when you use more than a certain amount of water than you have set in your WaterSmart Portal settings. If you do not wish to receive these notifications, you can disable them by logging into your account and updating your communication preferences. You can also reduce how often you receive these notifications by increasing the Daily Use Threshold in your settings.

If you will not be away from your home but still want to be notified of unusual water usage, you can turn on the High Use Notification instead, which will send you an alert when you exceed your normal water use.

Do you have questions about WaterSmart or need assistance registering? Email water@milpitas.gov or call 408-586-2666 for help.