HydroPoint pilot: Microsoft-funded smart-irrigation effort reports millions of gallons saved

Jeff Welch of HydroPoint and facilities staff updated trustees on the district's smart-irrigation pilot funded by Microsoft credits. Welch said HydroPoint identified about 20 campuses for full installation of smart controllers and flow sensors and that the district's energy manager and facilities team have worked closely on device installs and monitoring.

"Currently, we've saved 8,200,000 gallons of water, through the June, which equates to about $66,000 in savings," Welch said, describing the quarterly reporting HydroPoint produces after reviewing district water bills and controller telemetry. He added the company expects final-year savings to top 20 million gallons given summer irrigation patterns.

HydroPoint provides remote monitoring and leak detection. Welch said the deployment includes 23 controllers with flow sensors that can react automatically to abnormal runs and 10 meter-monitoring devices on sites where a flow-sensor wiring option was not available; the meter devices require manual follow-up. Facilities staff praised the monitoring and the district's ability to respond to open cases; HydroPoint reported 25 cases through June and said all were resolved.

Trustees and staff asked how the Microsoft funding relates to "cooling AI centers" and the broader water-offset conversation. Welch explained Microsoft provided grant funding to offset its data-center water use and that the funds were used to install the HydroPoint systems at selected campuses. Facilities staff said the district will evaluate adding more campuses as funding or internal savings permit; administration noted the original Microsoft award covered ten-year monitoring and installations.

The update did not ask for board action; staff said ongoing monitoring and potential future installations will be considered in budget discussions.