💧 Smart Water Usage Advisor

An AI-Powered Hybrid Intelligence System for Early Household Leak Detection & Transparent Consumption Benchmark Optimization

An AI for Sustainability Solution for Household Conservation & Early Leak Detection

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🌐 Live Production Deployment: https://smart-water-usage-advisor.vercel.app

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Key Features • Why Hybrid AI? • Architecture • Algorithms • Installation • Responsible AI

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🌟 Executive Summary

Urban households rarely detect water leaks until an exorbitant monthly utility bill arrives — by which point thousands of liters have already leaked into walls, sub-floors, or drains. Concurrently, routine domestic water waste (excess shower duration, tap running while scrubbing dishes, half-load laundry runs) goes unmonitored due to a lack of personalized, actionable feedback.

Smart Water Usage Advisor solves both challenges using a Hybrid Intelligence Framework:

1. Weighted Multi-Signal Leak Risk Model — A deterministic mathematical engine evaluating physical indicators (meter drift, bill spikes, dampness, running cisterns) into a normalized 0–100 Leak Risk Score.
2. Transparent Habit & Benchmark Advisor — A per-capita daily usage calculator benchmarking consumption against UN SDG 6 standards (135 LPD) and calculating immediate financial & volumetric savings potential.
3. Context-Aware Generative AI Layer — Integrates Claude (with intelligent zero-key offline fallbacks) to turn complex numerical breakdowns into empathetic, step-by-step mitigation plans.

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🚀 Key Features

• 🔍 Multi-Signal Leak Risk Assessment: Evaluates weighted physical indicators with clear severity escalation thresholds (No Leak, Possible Minor, Likely Major, Critical Multi-Point).
• 📊 Benchmark Usage Breakdown: Computes exact monthly water volumes and percentages across household activities (showers, dishwashing, gardening, laundry).
• 🇺🇳 UN SDG 6 Alignment: Compares household Liters Per Person Per Day (LPD) against the global UN/WHO benchmark target of 135 LPD.
• 💰 Financial & Volumetric Savings Estimator: Calculates exact monthly water volume savings (Liters/month) and monetary savings ($/month).
• 🛡️ 100% Offline-Capable & Audit-Safe: Uses rule-guided algorithms so the core scoring, calculations, and structured advice work fully offline even without an LLM API key.
• ⚡ 1-Click Preset Scenario Evaluator: Includes pre-configured household profiles (Eco Champion, Running Toilet, High-Risk Pipe Leak) for instant live testing.

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🏗️ Why Hybrid (Rules + AI) Design?

Important

Pure LLMs should never be responsible for computing safety-critical metrics or financial risk scores, as they can suffer from hallucination, non-determinism, and lack of auditability.

┌──────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│             User Input / Signals             │
└──────────────────────┬───────────────────────┘
                       │
                       ▼
┌──────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│    Deterministic Rule & Mathematical Model   │
│  (leak_model.py  &  habit_model.py)          │
│  • 100% Audit-Safe  • Non-Hallucinating     │
└──────────────────────┬───────────────────────┘
                       │ Calculates numeric score & metrics
                       ▼
┌──────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│        Generative AI Contextual Layer        │
│  (Claude Sonnet API + Smart Offline Engine)  │
│  • Natural Language  • Actionable Guidance  │
└──────────────────────┬───────────────────────┘
                       │ Generates output report
                       ▼
┌──────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│      Structured User Dashboard & Report      │
└──────────────────────────────────────────────┘

• Deterministic Layer (Core Math): Guarantees consistent, explainable, and repeatable calculations. The leak score or usage benchmark will be identical every time for the same inputs.
• Generative AI Layer (Explanation): Translates raw data into intuitive, human-friendly guidance, recommending specific plumbing fixes or habit modifications tailored to the user's situation.

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📐 System Architecture

graph TD
    A[User Frontend UI] -->|Form / Quiz Inputs| B[Flask REST API Server]
    
    subgraph Backend Engine
        B --> C[leak_model.py]
        B --> D[habit_model.py]
        
        C -->|Risk Score + Loss Metrics| E[AI Proxy & Fallback Router]
        D -->|Usage Breakdown + SDG Metrics| E
    end
    
    subgraph Generative AI & Fallback Layer
        E -->|API Key Present| F[Claude LLM API]
        E -->|No API Key / Fallback| G[Rule-Guided Structured Fallback]
    end
    
    F -->|Plain-Language Advice| H[JSON Response]
    G -->|Structured Action Plan| H
    H -->|Render Dynamic Cards & Charts| A

Loading

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🧮 Scoring Algorithms & Rationales

1. Leak Risk Weighting Rationale (backend/leak_model.py)

Rather than arbitrary standard scoring, each self-reported signal is weighted strictly by its empirical correlation with active structural leaks:

Signal Key	Weight	Est. Daily Loss	Engineering Rationale
meter_moves	35%	200 L/day	Strongest Direct Signal: A moving meter with all household taps closed confirms active, continuous pressurized draw.
bill_spike	25%	450 L/day	Strong but Noisy: Utility bill spikes indicate excess volume, though seasonal variance or visitors can contribute.
damp_patches	20%	120 L/day	Physical Lagging Indicator: Mold or dampness confirms seepage behind walls/floors, typically following prolonged leaks.
cistern_running	20%	700 L/day	High Volume Fixture Leak: Silent flapper valve failure in toilet tanks can waste up to 700+ Liters daily.

Risk Severity Classification

• 0 Points: No Leak Detected (Urgency: Low)
• 1 - 49 Points: Possible Minor Leak (Urgency: Moderate)
• 50 - 74 Points: Likely Major Leak (Urgency: High)
• 75 - 100 Points: Critical Multi-Point Leak (Urgency: Critical)

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2. Habit Usage & UN SDG 6 Benchmark Model (backend/habit_model.py)

The habit advisor converts self-reported daily routines into monthly volumetric estimates using standard water flow rate standards:

• Shower Consumption: $\text{Shower Minutes} \times 9\text{ L/min} \times 30\text{ Days} \times \text{Household Size}$
• Dishwashing Tap:
  • Running Tap: $10\text{ min/day} \times 6\text{ L/min} \times 30\text{ Days} = 1,800\text{ L/month}$
  • Tap Off: $2\text{ min/day} \times 6\text{ L/min} \times 30\text{ Days} = 360\text{ L/month}$
• Garden Irrigation: $\text{Garden Minutes} \times 15\text{ L/min} \times 30\text{ Days}$
• Washing Machine: $65\text{ L/run} \times (\text{Runs/week} \times 4.33\text{ Weeks/month})$

Per-Capita LPD Calculation

$$\text{Per-Capita LPD} = \frac{\text{Total Monthly Household Volume (Liters)}}{30 \times \text{Household Members}}$$

Note

The target benchmark is 135 Liters Per Person Per Day (LPD), aligned with UN SDG 6 guidelines for basic domestic water security.

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📁 Project Structure

smart-water-usage-advisor/
├── backend/
│   ├── app.py              # Flask REST API, static server & AI proxy routing
│   ├── leak_model.py       # Weighted multi-signal leak algorithm & risk scorer
│   ├── habit_model.py      # Water usage breakdown estimator & SDG 6 benchmark engine
│   └── test_models.py      # Automated pytest unit test suite (11 test cases)
├── frontend/
│   ├── templates/
│   │   └── index.html      # Responsive dashboard UI (HTML5, Accessible Design)
│   └── static/
│       ├── style.css       # Premium CSS design system (Glassmorphic theme, CSS grid/flex)
│       └── app.js          # Interactive frontend logic & API client handlers
├── LICENSE                 # MIT Open Source License
├── requirements.txt        # Python package dependencies (Flask, anthropic, pytest)
└── README.md               # Complete project documentation & developer guide

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🛠️ Quick Start & Installation

Prerequisites

• Python 3.9+ installed on your system.
• Git.

1. Clone the Repository

git clone https://github.com/nevilusdad777/smart-water-usage-advisor.git
cd smart-water-usage-advisor

2. Install Dependencies

pip install -r requirements.txt

3. Set Up Environment Variables (Optional)

To enable live Anthropic Claude LLM explanations, set your API key:

# On Linux/macOS
export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=your_anthropic_api_key_here

# On Windows (PowerShell)
$env:ANTHROPIC_API_KEY="your_anthropic_api_key_here"

Note: If no API key is provided, the application runs seamlessly using built-in, structured, professional fallback insights!

4. Launch the Application

python backend/app.py

Open http://localhost:5000 in your browser to view the interactive application dashboard.

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🧪 Automated Testing

The project includes unit tests verifying both the scoring logic and edge cases across leak scenarios and habit estimations.

Run tests using pytest:

py -m pytest backend/test_models.py -v

Test Suite Coverage:

• test_no_signals_means_no_leak: Verifies baseline zero-score logic.
• test_single_meter_signal_is_minor: Verifies 35-point meter score classification.
• test_all_signals_is_critical: Verifies multi-point leak aggregation (100 points, 44,100 L/mo loss).
• test_meter_plus_one_other_escalates_to_major: Tests threshold escalation to Major Leak.
• test_shower_only_calculation_scaled_by_household: Verifies per-capita household scaling.
• test_sdg_benchmark_comparison_and_savings: Validates SDG 6 target percentage comparisons.

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⚖️ Responsible AI Framework

This project adheres to strict Responsible AI guidelines:

• 🔒 Transparency & Explainability: Every calculation is strictly mathematical and open-source. The AI layer explains numbers; it never invents them.
• ⚖️ Fairness & Accessibility: Benchmark figures are based on WHO/UN standards without demographic bias. All assumptions are explicitly declared to the user.
• 🛡️ Ethics & Safety: The system provides advisory guidance only, recommending certified plumbers for major risks, preventing dangerous self-repairs.
• 🔐 Privacy & Data Minimization: Zero Personally Identifiable Information (PII) is requested or stored. All assessments process transiently in memory.

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📊 Tested Scenarios Summary Matrix

Scenario Profile	Meter Moves	Bill Spike	Damp Patches	Cistern Running	Risk Score	Status Flag	Est. Monthly Loss
🌱 Eco Champion	❌	❌	❌	❌	0 / 100	No Leak Detected	0 Liters
🚽 Running Toilet	❌	❌	❌	✅	20 / 100	Possible Minor Leak	21,000 Liters
⚠️ Meter + Bill Spike	✅	✅	❌	❌	60 / 100	Likely Major Leak	19,500 Liters
🚨 Multi-Point Burst	✅	✅	✅	✅	100 / 100	Critical Multi-Point Leak	44,100 Liters

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🔮 Future Roadmap

• IoT Smart Meter Telemetry Integration: Real-time MQTT stream consumption analysis.
• Localized Water Tariff Engines: Regional water utility pricing calculations per municipality.
• Multilingual Support: Support for regional Indian languages (Hindi, Kannada, Tamil, Marathi).
• Community Housing Dashboard: Aggregated anonymized reporting for apartment complexes.

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👤 Author & Acknowledgments

Nevil Usdad
JAIN (Deemed-to-be University)
Developed for AI for Sustainability Project Initiative

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📜 License

This project is licensed under the MIT License — see the LICENSE file for details.