A new app developed at The University of Cape Town (UCT), aptly named Drop Drop, is helping residents of the Mother City use water responsibly.

With no sign of the drought coming to an end any time soon and the City warning that there is less than 100 days of potable water left in the dams, this app is very welcome. The app was created by the Information for Community Services (iCOMMS) interdisciplinary team, based in UCT’s Department of Information Systems.

Unfortunately, while the app is free, it is currently only available to Android users. It is an excellent idea though and is playing its part for those who wish to play their part in responsible water usage, and with a meagre 27.5% of potable water left in Cape Town’s six major dams anything that can help is very welcome.

According to Ulrike Rivettis, Project leader, app founder and professor in the Department of Information Systems, the project was piloted in the rural communities in 2015 to test the apps ability to assist with water management and improve service delivery. Thereafter the iCOMMS team then collaborated with the City of Cape Town to assess the app’s impact on water demand management and water conservation at a domestic level.

DROP Drop works by the consumer entering the reading from the municipality’s external water meter connected to their home – projected water usage for the month and an estimated water bill will then be calculated. The information, together with suggestions from Drop Drop on additional water savings in the home, can be utilised to optimise water usage.

The app also provides tips on “How to Change a Washer on a Leaky Tap”, “Test for Water Leaks” and “How to Save Money with Every Flush” as well as an option to log reports about water delivery services and provides phone numbers and contact details required to help citizens do their part to conserve water.

According to UCT master’s student and iCOMMS spokesperson, Megan McLaren, “The plan for 2017 is to expand the user base and test additional mechanisms, which are aimed at making the app more effective at creating lasting change.”

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