Like Us
Follow Us
Score! I'm a water winner
I haven't won the lottery. Hell, I rarely ever win a raffle.
But, thanks to a friend at Marquette University, I found h2oscore.com, a site that allows homeowners to see how much water they consume and how the usage compares to similar households.
The site uses water utility data that is available to the public through the Freedom of Information Act.
As you can see from the image, ours is a top-tier Milwaukee household in terms of water usage. A mere 4% use less water than we do. Once I get the kids to learn not to flush an empty toilet and to take fewer than 15Â minutes to wash their hands, we should shoot up even higher in the rankings.
According to Andy Brodzeller at Marquette, the site is the result of a class project.
"The site was started as a student project during an environmental politics class taught by (poli sci prof) McGee Young last spring. A requirement of the class was to develop a solution to a water challenge, which spawned the website."
The site currently tracks water usage data from seven Wisconsin cities – Milwaukee, Wauwatosa, Madison, Green Bay, Whitefish Bay, Grafton and Whitewater – and nine northern Chicago 'burbs.
The team is hoping to add St. Paul and St. Louis Park, Minn., and Fort Worth and Houston any day now.
"There typically is a fee to obtain the records from the utilities, but some cities like Whitewater, have agreed to provide the data to the site for free," says Brodzeller.
"New electronic water meters in Whitewater actually allow the site to provide real-time data. They are still working on a sustainable business model for the site and are looking at developing apps to charge people for."
Now pardon me, I hear a faucet dripping. Gotta run.
Talkbacks
 |
No Talkbacks for this article. Post your comment/review now |
Facebook comments
Disclaimer: Please note that Facebook comments are posted through Facebook and cannot be approved, edited or declined by OnMilwaukee.com. The opinions expressed in Facebook comments do not necessarily reflect those of OnMilwaukee.com or its staff.
Recent Articles & Blogs by Bobby Tanzilo
A week of pizza by the slice: Classic Slice
Published May 23, 2012
Today's slice is a plain cheese, what you might call a classic slice, from, well, Classic Slice, 1609 E. North Ave.
A week of pizza by the slice: Brick 3
Published May 22, 2012
After yesterday's double-dip at Ian's - a plain cheese and a slice with pepperoni - I stopped at Brick 3, 1107 N. Old World 3rd St., today to sample the wares.
A week of pizza by the slice: Ian's
Published May 21, 2012
In honor of Damien Jaques' article this morning about pizza by the slice - and in honor of my recent trip home to Brooklyn - I'm going to have a slice a day this week and write about it here. Because it's right across the street and the idea just hit me, I'm starting with Ian's on North Avenue.
Juniper Tar: Mohr talks "Since Before"
Published May 21, 2012
If you follow local music you can't possibly have missed that Juniper Tar released a new record in recent weeks. "Since Before" is now available and it was worth the wait. The vinyl version is an elaborate package befitting the powerful music inside. We got a chance to ask singer and guitarist Jason Mohr about it.
We'll miss Mark Shurilla
Published May 18, 2012
It's been a sad week for music of all varieties. But here in Milwaukee, it's safe to say we'll miss our own Mark Shurilla the most.
Urban spelunking: Dome of the Basilica of St. Josaphat
Published May 16, 2012
A big fan of behind the scenes visits, I've traversed catwalks soaring high over concert stages, descended into the basements of schools and gone pretty much anywhere folks with keys will let me go. But the trip to the top of the dome of the Basilica of St. Josaphat on 6th and Lincoln was a journey unlike any I've taken before.
Breiwick's Monk tribute is a sort of happy accident
Published May 14, 2012
If news that local jazz musician and organizer Jamie Breiwick has yet another new release comes as a bit of a shock, you're not alone. The ever-occupied, constantly creating Breiwick is a musical force of nature. His new record, "Music of Thelonious Monk: Friday the 13th," is available only as a free download. Breiwick says the release wasn't something he planned.
Five questions for Panalure
Published May 11, 2012
Though Panalure is a new name in local music, the names of its members may be familiar. The group, which incorporates steel guitar, accordion and ukulele in its atypical American roots music sound, includes local music veterans like Ken Hanson and Michael De Boer, among its six members.
Thule log: Luhrssen traces the story of society that helped birth Nazism
Published May 11, 2012
Milwaukee author and historian Dave Luhrssen's latest book, "Hammer of the Gods," tells the story of Germany's Thule Society and how it figured into the birth of Nazism. Published in hardcover by Potomac Books, the work began as a dissertation at UWM.
Mad Hot Ballroom is back
Published May 10, 2012
Danceworks' Mad Hot Ballroom program has challenged perceptions of what fifth and sixth graders in Milwaukee schools would love doing. But the success it has had at more than three dozen schools is a testament to the program and to the kids and their teaching artists.
