When viewing your water usage in WaterCompass.net, you’ll find several metrics that help you understand, benchmark, and optimize your water consumption. This article explains what each metric means and how you can use it to improve performance and detect anomalies.
Summary Table
| Metric | Purpose | Requires Customer Input? |
| Usage (Gallons) | Base water usage measurement | No |
| Cost ($) | Cost estimate based on water rate | Yes - Water bills |
| Cost per kGal | Tracks rate of water cost | Yes - Water bills |
| Gallons per 1K Sq. Ft. | Normalized usage by area | Yes - Site area |
| Cost per 1K Sq. Ft. | Normalized cost by area and rate | Yes - Water Bills + Site area |
| Relative Usage (Pulses) | Raw meter data for initial insights | No |
Usage (Gallons)
What It Is
The total amount of water used, shown in gallons. This is the foundational metric used throughout WaterCompass.
Why It Matters
- Standardizes usage across meters and sensors.
- Supports threshold-based alerts to detect abnormal activity.
Example
If your alert threshold is 100 GPH:
- Actual usage of 101 GPH = Minor anomaly.
- Actual usage of 500 GPH = Significant anomaly, investigate immediately.
Cost ($)
What It Is
An estimate of your water spend, calculated by multiplying gallons used by the average water rate for each meter.
Why It Matters
- Track water cost trends.
- Justify repairs or efficiency improvements.
- Identify high-cost anomalies.
Note: Cost estimates exclude fixed charges or tiered rates and may not match your actual utility bill.
Need to enable this?
Submit your water bills to HydroPoint so we can calculate your average rate: Send water bills to performance@hydropoint.com. Include your account name, site name, and site address.
Cost per kGal
What It Is
The average cost per 1,000 gallons (kGal) based on your submitted water bills.
Why It Matters
- Understand cost trends over time.
- Compare costs between meters and locations.
Need to enable this?
Submit your water bills to HydroPoint so we can calculate your average rate: Send water bills to performance@hydropoint.com. Include your account name, site name, and site address.
Gals per 1,000 Sq. Ft.
What It Is
Water usage normalized by site area—helps you compare usage across properties of different sizes.
Why It Matters
- Benchmark efficiency across your portfolio.
- Identify high-usage sites for improvement.
Example
Set a target: no more than 1,000 gallons per 1k Sq. Ft. Then prioritize underperforming sites for efficiency retrofits or irrigation upgrades.
Requires
Site area information. Send site area to performance@hydropoint.com. Include your account name, site name, site address and site area.
Cost per 1,000 Sq. Ft.
What It Is
Water cost normalized by site size—combines usage, cost, and area for better comparisons.
Why It Matters
- Set cost-efficiency benchmarks.
- Compare sites with different sizes and rates fairly.
Example
Target: no more than $100 per 1k Sq. Ft. Focus on the most expensive sites for investigation.
Need to enable this?
Submit your water bills and site area to HydroPoint so we can calculate your average rate: Send water bills to performance@hydropoint.com. Include your account name, site name, site address and site area.
Relative Usage (Pulses)
What It Is
Raw meter data (pulses) showing relative water flow. Pulses aren't yet converted to gallons until calibration is complete.
Why It Matters
- See early usage patterns before calibration.
- Supports deployment validation and accuracy checks.
Calibration Process
WaterCompass uses a learning process to create a pulse-to-gallon ratio specific to your meter. This enables accurate tracking.
Learn more about calibration: Email us at performance@hydropoint.com.