WHAT IS WATER SUB METERING?

Water Sub Metering is the installation of water meters for clients in warehouses, marinas and individual units within a multi-family development. Examples of multi–family developments can be apartment complexes, condominiums, mobile homes, etc. Typically a multi-family development has one master meter for the entire development or a meter for each building and the development or association is responsible for the entire water and sewer bill without taking into account the actual consumption by user.   This expense is basically divided evenly by the number of units within the development and passed on via rent, association dues, or other forms of charges.  By sub metering the development the water & sewer charges will be properly billed based on the consumption of each individual user.  Those users who use less water will pay only for their fair share of the bill, without having to pay for the use of others who consumed more water.

WHY IS THERE A NEED FOR SUB METERING?

The water and sewer bills for warehouses, marinas and multi-family developments are one of the largest expenses for any community.  With drinkable water becoming a scarce commodity, throughout the United States the cost of water has increased.  Currently not all properties are sub metered nor are they able to be sub metered.  However, the majority of new constructions are being sub metered and the majority of communities that can be sub metered will be installing a sub metering system in the near future. 

HOW DOES THE IUSA SELF MANAGED SYSTEM WORK? 

The IUSA Self Managed system has a two-way user-development communication, which allows the client (warehouses, marinas, and multi-family developments) to obtain statistics on frequency of use, usage, and other technical information that is useful for both the end user and the development. The user will be able to see on the meter what their consumption has been to date and know first hand the amount that is due for their water consumption. Using the IUSA Self Managed metering system eliminates the need for the client to process and mail out a bill, thereby providing additional cost savings.

ADVANTAGES OF A SUB METERING SYSTEM 

Having the property sub-metered can provide benefits to everyone involved. There are several advantages for installing a water sub metering system for everyone involved.

• The property owners will have the ability to reduce expenses.  The water and sewer bill for a multi-family property is one of the highest expenses that a property owner incurs.  However, it is one of the only expenses that they have no control over, because the residents control how much water they consume.  By installing a water sub metering system, the residents will be responsible for their own water consumption and payment of their use. The system guarantees revenue in advance and on time payments for water usage eliminating delin­quent users and bad accounts. It helps lower administrative costs also the issuance and distribution of bills disappear completely. With the online management software developed by IUSA, the client will be able to access all kinds of information and reports designed in accordance with their needs. Water consumption, number of recharges, value of recharges, consumer profiles, water interruptions for lack of balance, water outages, failure reports, and tampering will be reported. This infor­mation reported by the system will permit them to make better decisions to control, analyze, plan, and manage the service they provide.

• The residents will benefit from the possible increase in rent due to increased water bills to the owners.  The residents have full control over their water usage and expense.  They have the flexibility to decide when and how much to buy. Prior to sub metering, each unit shared this expense equally regardless of actual consumption. It didn’t matter if one person or four individuals lived in a unit.  Sub metering guarantees that each unit, only pay for the water consumed and not for anyone else’s, thereby gaining control of the expense. 

• It has been found that the environment also benefits from a water sub-metering program.  Studies have shown that a sub-metering program alone can reduce water consumption anywhere between 20% and 30% as residents become more aware of how much of the resource they are wasting. 

ARE THERE ANY LAWS GOVERNING SUB METERING?

States and local governments regulate water sub-metering. The regulations on sub metering vary from state to state. Some States and local governments also govern what can and cannot be charged. As part of the regulations Sub-metering companies may not charge higher rates per gallon of water than those billed by the water entity. For compliance some States and local jurisdictions require certain annual filings.