Smarter Control for Seasonal Demand
From seasonal residents and vacation rentals to college towns with dramatic population swings, frequent water shutoffs and turn-ons are a normal part of utility operations. Each of these events introduces operational costs, risk to infrastructure, and potential service disruptions. Today, water utilities are increasingly leveraging automation and remote technologies to operate in environments that don’t follow a steady, predictable demand curve.
Aquana smart valves, such as AquaFlow® and AquaFlex®, provide utilities with the visibility and control needed to manage these scenarios more efficiently, safely, and at scale.
The Challenge of Frequent Shutoffs
In communities with high numbers of snowbirds, short-term rentals, or student housing, water service is often cycled multiple times per year for the same properties. Traditional manual shutoffs and reactivations create several challenges for utilities:
- High labor costs for truck rolls and field crews
- Increased risk of leaks or bursts when service is restored to unattended properties
- Delayed detection of failures, often discovered only after significant water loss
- Customer service strain during peak move-in or move-out periods
These challenges compound during seasonal transitions, when thousands of connections may be activated or deactivated within a short time window.
Smart Valves Enable Remote, Controlled Operations
Aquana smart valves allow utilities to remotely shut off and restore water service without dispatching crews to each location. With AquaFlow® or AquaFlex® installed at the service connection, utilities can:
- Turn water on or off securely and remotely
- Schedule activations to avoid system pressure surges
- Reduce operational workload during seasonal peaks
- Maintain service control even when properties are vacant
This remote capability is especially valuable in college towns, where coordinated move-in days can overwhelm field operations, and in snowbird communities where seasonal residents may be absent for months at a time.
Protecting Infrastructure During Re-Pressurization
One of the most overlooked risks in frequent shutoff scenarios is what happens when water is turned back on. Sudden re-pressurization can stress aging infrastructure, dislodge debris, and trigger leaks inside vacant properties.
Aquana smart valves help utilities manage this risk by enabling controlled restoration of flow, reducing the likelihood of:
- Burst pipes
- Meter damage
- Internal leaks that go unnoticed for days or weeks
For vacation rentals or second homes, this added layer of protection can significantly reduce non-revenue water and downstream claims.
Early Leak Detection in Unoccupied Properties
When a property is vacant, even a small leak can quickly turn into a major loss. Smart valves paired with usage monitoring allow utilities to identify abnormal flow patterns immediately after service is restored—or even while the property is supposed to be inactive.
This capability enables utilities to:
- Detect leaks before occupants return
- Prevent extended water loss in unattended buildings
- Proactively notify property owners or managers
- Reduce emergency calls and after-hours responses
In rental-heavy markets, this visibility can dramatically improve both operational efficiency and customer satisfaction.
Scalable Solutions for Seasonal Communities
A key advantage of Aquana’s smart valve platform is scalability. Whether managing a few hundred seasonal homes or tens of thousands of student residences, utilities gain:
- Centralized visibility across service connections
- Consistent control regardless of property type
- Data insights to plan for seasonal demand shifts
- Reduced dependency on manual processes
Rather than reacting to seasonal demand, utilities can move to a more predictive, planned approach to service management.
Preparing for a More Dynamic Future
As housing trends continue to evolve—with more remote work, short-term rentals, and mobile populations—utilities will face even greater variability in usage patterns. Infrastructure built for static demand must now support dynamic, on-off service cycles.
Aquana smart valves like AquaFlow and AquaFlex give utilities the tools they need to adapt—reducing costs, protecting infrastructure, and delivering reliable service even in the most dynamic environments.
