The Ark Labs can prevent billions in water losses

January 16, 2016 - FLORENCE, Ala. — The Ark Labs' water-saving technology was created because of a conundrum: Water is among America's most critical future concerns, and the average U.S. household leaks 10,000 gallons of water a year, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

With its Jan. 28 Kickstarter debut, The Ark's easy-to-install mobile app and a small, Internet-enabled piece of hardware is ready for production. And it has the potential to eliminate $8 billion in water losses a year in the U.S. alone.

Already nominated by the Chattanooga Technology Council for the Early Innovator and Spirit of Innovation awards in Tennessee's "Gig City," The Ark Labs is finishing development at a time when world leaders are engaging in plans to rescue our planet from climate change. At the fore of their worries is water sustainability.
The Ark Labs is the brainchild of CEO Robbie Hillis, who came up with its concept after his young daughter turned on a tap in the house, and it ran overnight. When he calculated the water loss, Hillis began to realize the impact of nationwide water losses. Americans who don't live in drought-stricken locales are only now becoming aware of water stress and the global water crisis.

But the facts might still alarm them: One leaky faucet, dripping five times a minute, loses 173 gallons of water in a year. A continuously running toilet can waste more than 1,000 gallons in a single day. "We're trying to change the world by making houses efficient, so we don't have to fight over water," Hillis said.
The Ark Labs technology is endorsed by water advocacy groups, including Thomas Schumann Capital LLC in Santa Monica, California, which expects 5- to 8-percent annual growth in global water-infrastructure projects in coming years. Schumann predicts the water conservation industry, currently a $500 million market, will expand to $1 trillion a year by 2020.

"Saving every drop of water one American home at a time ensures water security," Schumann said. "The Ark's technology creates social, environmental, financial impact. Robbie leads the path to a sustainable America."

The Ark's technology is a machine-learning device that recognizes water-use habits and sends alerts when it detects change. It is a leading example of The Internet of Things movement, which is creating a movement of Internet-enabled home and office appliances.

A major portion of the Paris agreement on climate change, signed by representatives of 190 nations, calls for boosting water sustainability and increasing water-efficient and -reuse technologies. The U.S. has committed to boosting water sustainability and long-term security by supporting businesses, industries and communities in efforts to make water use efficient.

The Ark Labs is at the forefront of new technologies that soon will lock arms in the effort to reach the Obama administration's goal of reducing America's water usage by 33 percent, putting the U.S. in line with other industrialized nations.

The government also is promoting and investing in breakthrough research and development that will reduce the price, energy costs and emissions requirements of new water-supply technology.