Want a lush, green lawn but don't want to waste water. We feel the same way when we look at our lawns. While there’s tons of data out there to help you have a green lawn while staying green, we weren’t able to find a tool that put it all together to tell you one simple thing—is it time to water your lawn.
So we set out to solve that. We put our heads and skills together to create Water My Lawn, an app to help everyone make smarter lawn-watering decisions no matter where they live.
Using historical weather data and Environment Canada forecasts, Water My Lawn recommends a weekly watering amount tailored to your lawn’s needs. It uses evapotranspiration (ET) data, which measures how much water your lawn loses from evaporation and plant transpiration, then factors in recent rainfall to help you avoid overwatering.
Think global, act local
In our home community of Waterloo Region, residents and businesses continually find new ways to conserve water. Over 80% of the water used locally comes from ground sources, including wells and aquifers — water that’s vital for drinking, agriculture, and keeping our lawns green. According to regional estimates, nearly 16% of our water is used for lawn watering. Each summer, a lawn watering bylaw takes effect to help reduce usage and protect our water sources.
Similar bylaws exist across Canada and the U.S., typically based on house numbers to dictate when watering is permitted. But what if it's your designated day and your lawn doesn't actually need watering?
That’s the question that inspired us to build Water My Lawn. The app helps homeowners conserve water by sending notifications based on whether watering is necessary, not just allowed. It considers both recent and upcoming weather conditions to recommend skipping the sprinkler when your lawn doesn't need it.
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How does Water My Lawn work?
Water My Lawn looks at weather data from the past five days and forecasts for the next five. It uses that information, including precipitation and evapotranspiration, to decide whether your lawn needs watering today. Enable notifications, and the app will let you know if it's a good day to water.
Evapotranspiration is the combination of water evaporating from the surface and moisture released from plants as they draw water from the soil. The ET rate is influenced by temperature, wind speed, humidity, and sunshine. Unless rain is imminent, Water My Lawn generally advises watering if the ten-day balance between rainfall and evapotranspiration falls below 10mm.
Does my sprinkler system affect the app?
Definitely. Every sprinkler system is different and Water My Lawn has a setting where you can set the flow rate for your sprinkler system. Watch this short video to learn how.
Why did we make this app?
Water My Lawn is one of our BitBakery Labs projects, which give us the opportunity to experiment with other technologies. Our team used Water My Lawn as a chance to develop further expertise with Google Flutter and Firebase.
As trusted partners in development, our team works with our clients to develop mobile and web applications. Get in contact with us to learn more about how we can help your organization.
