What’s happening: Sterling Heights has announced a 21st century solution for residents looking to save money on their bills and conserve water. It’s called WaterSmart, a new website that allows residents to manage their bills and water usage online, and receive emergency notifications when something goes awry.

What it is: WaterSmart offers residents a host of features, including the ability to pay bills online via desktops and smartphones. But that’s not all. Emergency notifications enable residents to detect leaks and potential problems as they occur. A water usage tracker allows the opportunity to monitor their own water usage – and down to the hour, no less – and compare it to past consumption, and even against community averages. Emergency notifications will also alert the community regarding water outage reports and boil water advisories.

How it works: The WaterSmart website is now live and functional, and residents can sign up for a free account by visiting sterlingheightsmi.watersmart.com.

Why it’s important: “WaterSmart is part of our ongoing commitment to keep costs low while providing world-class services and an exceptional quality of life for our residents,” Sterling Heights Mayor Michael Taylor says in a statement. "Water is a precious resource, and we all have a responsibility to use it wisely. We hope WaterSmart will inspire our residents to not only save money by catching leaks early, but also take action to manage their water use to create a sustainable future for our community and our planet.”

There’s more: To encourage residents’ shifting their bills online, the city is offering a $60 annual credit when residents sign up for paperless billing and automatic payments. Beginning May 1, 2023, residents that sign up for the program will receive a $5 credit for each of their monthly water bills. Residents can sign up at sterling-heights.net/waterbill in advance of the May 1 start.

Got a development news story to share? Email MJ Galbraith here or send him a tweet @mikegalbraith.