The following SMART 100 profile and the information it contains is a duplication of content submitted by the applicant during the entry process. As a function of entry, applicants were required to declare that all details are factually correct, do not infringe on another’s intellectual property and are not unlawful, threatening, defamatory, invasive of privacy, obscene, or otherwise objectionable. Some profiles have been edited for reasons of space and clarity. More about the SMART 100.
This innovation initially came to life when…
A need became apparent during water restrictions in Australia. Water authorities now apply water restrictions in litres per day. There was a need for a product which measures litres and provides easy monitoring and control of water usage outside of the home. The Neta Litre Meter was co-developed by two Australian companies. In addition, a litre-based watering method was included to help save water. It provides an easy guide to the correct amount of water to use on the garden. This further enhances the benefits of the Neta Litre Meter. The guide is included on packaging and promotional material.
WHAT & HOW
The purpose of this innovation is to…
- provide a device mounted at the hose outlet for easy reference and which displays litres of water used while hand watering and cleaning around the home.
- make it easy to comply with daily water consumption limits and manage tank water.
It does this by…
- Litre Meter component:
- fitting easily to garden spray guns, wands and nozzles.
- fitting easily to any click-on hose fitting
- actually measuring and displaying the litres of water you use, while you are hosing.
- Accompanying Watering Method:
- to easily calculate the exact quantity of water to apply in Litres/square meter to keep the garden healthy, preventing over watering (waste).
PURPOSE & BENEFITS
This innovation improves on what came before because…
The only other meters which measure litres of water are the units fitted by the council on the boundary of the householder’s property. These meters are hard to monitor and are not designed to measure small volumes of water accurately.
Its various benefits to the customer/end-user include…
- saving their garden by applying only the water needed
- keeping to water restriction targets
- controlled use of tank water savings on water bills Neta Litre Meter is:
- affordable
- convenient
- easy to read
- water powered (no batteries)
- recyclable
COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE
In the past, this problem was solved by…
Guesswork or decanting water into containers of a specific volume before distribution.
Its predecessors/competitors include…
Tap timers are mounted remotely to a tap and allow water to flow over a set time period. There is no way of knowing how much water is used in this time. Professional automatic irrigation systems are also time-based.
TARGET MARKET
It is made for…
Every householder who is concerned with water usage or needs to comply with water usage restrictions. It can be applied to tank and main water systems and to outdoor watering, cleaning and topping up pools, etc. Ease of use: you simply set the arrow on the outer dial of the meter to ‘0’ and begin watering. The inner dial will start turning as the water flows through and a pointer shows how many litres of water have been used in real time.
DISTRIBUTION STRATEGY
It is available for sale through…
Leading hardware and irrigation stores including Bunnings, Home Hardware, Mitre 10 and Thrifty-Link Hardware.
Our marketing strategy is to…
Sell Neta Litre Meter to householders through hardware and irrigation stores throughout Australia. Samples were supplied to gardening identities for appraisal. Promotional information includes the litre-based watering method. This information is included on:
- Packaging
- Advertising – lifestyle magazines
- Product fact sheets (electronic and printed)
- Posters
- Banner stands
- Promotional DVD movie
- A dedicated website (www.litremeter.com.au)
SUPPORTING IMAGES AND/OR VIDEO
SHOW YOUR SUPPORT FOR THIS INNOVATION
While the judging is now officially over, you can still show your support for this innovation in one of the following three ways:
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To check out the Anthill SMART 100 Readers’ Choice winner for 2010, click here.
