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Smart City board pitches rebates, satellite leak scans and rain-harvest pilots to Copel council
Summary
The Copel Smart City Board recommended a three-part water strategy — a $150 smart-irrigation rebate, satellite-based leak detection and residential rainwater-harvesting pilots — and answered council questions about costs, pilot size and vendor options.
The Copel Smart City Board on April 28 recommended three programs to reduce residential and system water waste: a rebate of up to $150 for smart irrigation controllers and sensors; a satellite-based leak-detection service to find large buried main leaks; and pilots encouraging rainwater capture at household and HOA scale.
The board's chair, Deepak, told the council, “This is all about something we can't live without, water,” and framed the three recommendations as complementary fixes that target household irrigation, distribution-system loss and rooftop capture.
The proposal would pair a $150 per-household rebate for smart controllers with outreach to HOAs and a possible pilot of roughly 100 residential rainwater systems, the presenters said. Board member Michael Cash said the rebate aligns with neighboring cities and that switching to a smart controller can cut an individual single-family home's outdoor usage by as much as 15,000 gallons a year.
Council members pressed for implementation detail. Council Member Carol Neville said she was "100% in support" of the smart-controller rebate but asked how a rainwater pilot would be structured. The board suggested a phased approach: start small with residential systems then expand to HOAs and larger community storage if a pilot proves successful.
On satellite leak detection, the board cited Garland and Arlington as nearby examples that have used remote sensing to find large mains leaks the city's crews would otherwise miss. The board acknowledged current vendor pricing is often proprietary; Jason Cash and other board members said published data show large cities have realized substantial gallon and dollar savings after surveying for hidden leaks.
The presenters also discussed vendor and product examples. Board members named Rachio and Rain Bird among widely used smart-irrigation platforms and said multiple sensor and controller configurations exist, including hard-wired soil sensors for residents concerned about Wi-Fi security. Council Member Prim Kumar asked about cybersecurity risks; the board replied that non-Wi-Fi sensor options are available for residents who prefer them.
The board asked only for direction to move forward with pilot planning and further cost estimates to feed the city's budget process. The council did not take a formal vote at the meeting; board members said they will provide a more detailed cost estimate and funding options to staff for inclusion in the next budget cycle.
The presentation and Q&A are expected to inform budget talks and future staff recommendations on incentives and pilot design.
