Heat Domes, Droughts and Water Conservation

On June 26th, 2021, Salem Oregon hit an all time heat record of 117 degrees Fahrenheit. On the same day, Portland, Oregon topped out at 113 degrees, and Seattle, Washington saw temperatures skyrocket to 106 degrees as a heat dome covered the Pacific Northwest. An article posted by USA Today explains the current widespread heat domes, which occur when warm oceanic air gets caught in jetstreams and is pushed over large areas of land. There is no exact way of telling how long this heat dome will last, but regardless of the duration, heat domes have occurred far more frequently in the past few decades than we have ever seen before. Sadly, the extreme heat is not a localized event. On the other side of the continent, meteorologists are predicting higher temperatures than average for the remainder of the summer.

Heat domes, in conjunction with widespread drought, have brought new public concern towards water conservation. The City of Spokane is urging residents of Washington to do their part and conserve water — reduce watering, water at night, and avoid washing things like cards and driveways. Spokane has also started to reward customer who use lower water rates, around 18,700 gallons a month, in an attempt to incentivize the public and motivate water conservation.

Washington is not alone in the water struggle– California, Colorado, Maine, Vermont and many other states are all in drought conditions as well, with some locations requiring residents to pay fines if they exceed a certain amount of gallons used. Here at bluebot, we want to help — the first step in water conservation is becoming more aware of where your water usage lies. Bluebot can easily help consumers manage both water consumption and costs, while also keeping an eye out for possible leaks and excess usage. Our personalizable mobile notifications ensure that the consumers are never kept in the dark about where their water is going, and our Dollarize function helps keep your household on budget. As water becomes even more valuable and scarce, bluebot is committed to doing everything we can to put the power into the hands of the consumers, and do our part in conservation of this precious resource.