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Part of Smart irrigation planning: measure demand, hydrozone, then set run times
Where smart irrigation privacy concerns appear: rebate files, plans, meters
Where smart irrigation privacy concerns appear: a rebate file, a provider's plan, a published case study and meter data, with one real rebate as the example.
A connected irrigation system records when someone is home, when the property is empty, the watered area's size, and how the household behaves week to week. A program that pays for the work adds paperwork on top: forms, plans and sometimes published results.
None of that is sinister alone. It becomes a question worth asking because parties you did not choose hold the record, and a few publish. The points below show where those records appear and what to ask before you sign anything.
What to take away
- Smart irrigation data is location data plus occupancy pattern data, whether or not anyone describes it that way.
- A rebate adds a fileZone 7 Water Agency in California, for example, asks for a receipt, a photo of the controller and a screenshot of its programming.
- Published case studies are a real and legitimate route by which a specific property becomes identifiable.
- Nothing here is legal advice. Privacy obligations come from state law and your contracts, not from a federal efficiency program; California's Consumer Privacy Act is one such state law.
Four records a program leaves behind
Each step of a program creates a record, and each record has a holder who can be asked about it. The table pairs four records with an example holder and the question worth putting to it.
| Record | Example holder | What it can show | Question to ask |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rebate application | A rebate program such as Zone 7 Water Agency's | Address, product, receipt, a photo and a screenshot of the programming | What is published or shared with partners? |
| Conservation plan | A certified technical service provider under NRCS | A plan of your land | Who gets a copy, and for how long? |
| Case study | A program such as EPA WaterSense, then the public | Facility, city and savings figures | May my address or photos appear? |
| Meter data | Your water utility | Metered consumption, sometimes at interval resolution | What are the retention and disclosure policies? |
Interval meter data is the underrated item. Fine-grained consumption reveals daily routines. Utility rules on who may request it, and under what circumstances, vary by state.
The device maker and the installer sit outside any program but hold records too. The maker holds schedules, run times, location and account details. The installer holds the site plan, photos, access notes and contact details. Account settings, local-only programming and a written scope for retention and sharing limit both.
Who holds your irrigation data
Device maker
- What they hold
- Schedules, run times, location
- How to limit it
- Account settings, local-only programming
Installer or service firm
- What they hold
- Site plan, photos, access notes
- How to limit it
- Written scope for retention
Water utility
- What they hold
- Metered consumption, interval data
- How to limit it
- Ask retention and disclosure policy
Rebate program
- What they hold
- Address, product, receipt
- How to limit it
- Ask what is published or shared
A rebate file, step by step
A controller rebate is the most common place a homeowner hands over records. Zone 7 Water Agency and the local water retailers in its area (the City of Livermore, the City of Pleasanton and Dublin San Ramon Services District) jointly offer a smart controller rebate.
Its process shows what lands in the file:
- Buy a controller from the approved WaterSense product search on EPA's website.
- Install it according to the manufacturer's directions and activate the smart features.
- Submit the application with a copy of the receipt.
- Provide a picture of the installed controller along with a screenshot of the programming.
The property owner must also agree to a post-inspection if requested. None of this is unusual, but the screenshot is a copy of your watering schedule held by a public agency. Before you take a rebate, ask the program who sees that file and how long it is kept.
Plans written by certified providers
Programs that pay for professional services add another holder of your site information. The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service describes how its certified technical service providers work. Producers may voluntarily hire a certified individual, entity, tribe, or public agency to write plans and design conservation practices.
How a certified provider fits in
- Producer hires certified provider
- Provider writes plans and designs practices
- NRCS reimburses at contracted rates
- Provider certifies practice installed to standards
- Third party holds a plan of your land
The provider may also certify that a practice was installed to agency standards. That is a sensible arrangement, and it also means a third party holds a plan of your land. Ask any contractor who gets a copy of the site plan, and for how long.
Case studies are a publishing decision
Efficiency programs publish results, and results attach to places. EPA's water efficiency case studies show it: entries name the facility and its city and report water, energy, and cost savings.
One entry, a Loveland, Colorado, neighborhood, is documented as saving over 4 million gallons of water per year after an audit by a certified professional. Those participants agreed to appear. If you join a pilot, ask early whether your address, photos, or consumption figures may be published.
Where a state privacy law gives you rights
The device maker is a business, so state consumer privacy law can reach it. In California, the Attorney General explains that the California Consumer Privacy Act gives consumers the right to know what personal information a business collects and how it is used and shared.
The same law adds the right to delete personal information (with some exceptions) and to opt out of its sale or sharing. It also gives the right to correct inaccurate information and the right to limit the use and disclosure of sensitive personal information. Businesses subject to it must respond to such requests.
Other states have their own rules, and the device maker's privacy policy names the request route. The questions to put to a company are set out in privacy questions for irrigation companies.
What to settle before installation
- Ask whether the device can be programmed and run entirely at the panel, with no account.
- Ask what happens to stored history if you cancel the account or sell the house.
- Ask the installer, in writing, who receives the site plan and access notes.
- Ask the utility what it does with interval data, and whether you can opt out of a sharing program.
- If the property is rented or in a shared building, agree who holds the account before, not after.
Those questions belong beside the technical ones, and the account decision is easier if you have already worked through planning a smart irrigation project.
Common questions
Does joining a program make my address public?
Not necessarily. Some programs publish results and some do not. Ask before enrolling, and get the answer in writing.
Does my utility see my schedule?
Normally it sees metered consumption, not your controller settings, unless you joined a program that connects the two. A rebate that asks for a screenshot of the programming is one such connection.
Who owns the data?
That depends on the terms you accepted and on state law. Read the terms rather than assuming a default.
Is a shared-building system different?
Yes. The account holder is usually the association or manager, so residents should ask what is recorded and who can see it. Rules that limit outdoor equipment in shared buildings are covered in how building rules affect automation.
