Billing Meters
Sub Meters Metrics Outdoors Landscaping O&M Irrigation
The Cost of Water is
deceptively low as building owners and tenants pay for water twice - water
supplied + water discharged to the sewer. Additional considerations include the
cost of energy required to pump and heat water and rate increases over time
from energy and water utilities. Cost control solutions and incentives range
from fulfilling water requirements for building certifications, conducting water
audits, inclusive of leak detection, to incorporating water efficiency into
standard operating procedures and procurement policies.
Billing Issues verify your
property’s rate class and meter size, read water meters regularly to verify
usage - units and scale of readings should match bills and internal log books.
Water Meters
Require Limited Maintenance and Annual Calibration
Bills can cover multiple meters with specific water usage for each; match
all meters listed with their location and equipment covered. Record usage
individually and ask utilities for credit on sewer charges for water lost to
evaporation instead of being discharged to sewer, irrigation and cooling towers.
Meter and Sub meter all
sources of water to help identify areas for targeted reductions: city potable,
reclaimed water and well water. Most facilities have one or two master meters
supplying the whole building; others have one meter for an entire campus with
multiple buildings. Sub meters:
do not have to be on
separate utility accounts;
can help identify
leaks and equipment inefficiencies or malfunctions.
Water Metrics the sum of all
sources: Potable Water from public
water systems and classified for human consumption. Reclaimed Water wastewater treatment plant effluent purchased from
a public water system. Well Water
obtained from wells, bore wells, and other groundwater sources. Natural Freshwater sources that are not
municipally supplied, including surface water sources such as lakes or streams.
Other Sources rainwater or storm water
harvested onsite, sump pump water harvesting, gray water, air-cooling
condensate, reject water from water purification systems, water reclaimed
onsite, or water from other reuse strategies.
Outdoor Water Usage the
amount of water used outdoors is dictated by landscape size and design, the
need for supplemental irrigation, management of pools and other facilities. Outdoor
water use is a primary driver of peak use.
Landscaping a well-designed,
healthy, water-efficient landscape includes healthy soils to promote water infiltration
and root growth, appropriate grading with gentle slopes, mulching of landscaped
beds to keep soils cool and moist, drought-tolerant, native, or
climate/regionally appropriate plant species, minimal turf area.
O&M maintain existing
plantings and protect your investment in plants, remove weeds so water is available
for desired plants, allow turf grass to grow longer to achieve deeper root
growth, make shade and apply less water to shaded areas, minimize water used
for other purposes, shut off water features whenever possible, recirculate in
water features, sweep, don’t water hard surfaces.
Irrigation install rain
shutoff devices or sensors, soil moisture-based control technologies and sprinklers.
Maintenance check the system for
broken or clogged sprinkler heads, move or adjust sprinkler components to avoid
watering pavement, install and
monitor water submeters for irrigation systems, monitor monthly use trends, audit irrigation system every three years.