LADWP offering $199 smart home water monitoring device for $24

Looking for help saving water? LADWP customers can get a smart home water monitoring device that can detect a household leak at a steep discount.

Flume is a device that attaches directly to a home's water meter, and delivers real-time water usage data to a customer's smartphone or tablet via a downloaded app. The device is usually sold for $199, but under the LADWP pilot program, eligible customers can buy it for just $24.

LADWP officials say they have been getting feedback from customers about what could help them get more control of their water use and utility bills.

"This direct discount, along with other LADWP water conservation rebates like the generous turf replacement incentive and $500 rebate for efficient clothes washers, is another important tool for customers during this historic drought," Mia Lehrer, a Board of Water and Power commissioner, said in a statement.

According to the LADWP, Flume device installation is simple — just attach the device to the water meter, and no plumbing is required. The device's sensor measures the water meter's magnetic field, then sends that data to the Flume app on the resident's mobile device.

All of the West remains mired in a historic drought, and most communities across Southern California — including the city of Los Angeles — have enacted outdoor watering restrictions. Water savings are finally up, but municipalities continue to look for new ways to conserve water.

"We don't need a crystal ball to see that skyrocketing temperatures and dying reservoirs are in our future, so we need to keep finding ways to help Angelenos double down on their historic efforts to conserve," LA Mayor Eric Garcetti said in a statement.