It's one thing to encourage consumers to take shorter showers, but helping them do that is another matter entirely. Toward that end, the Waterpebble is a new innovation that tracks water usage in the shower and prompts users when it's time to finish up.

Created by UK design firm Priestmangoode, the Waterpebble is a small disc that gets placed near the shower drain. When it's first used, it learns how long the user's showers typically are. Then, on subsequent showers, it uses a series of “traffic light” signals ranging from green to red to tell consumers when to finish. Each time it's used, the Waterpebble fractionally reduces the length of the user's shower, resulting in water savings without the need for any conscious effort. The Waterpebble is available at select online retailers for about GBP 8.

Similar to Efergy's Shower Time, the Waterpebble is one more example of the opportunity that awaits those who can help consumers use less resources. Retailers around the globe: one to add to your own eco-minded line...?