Condo Media - April 2021 - 31

Discovering leaks is obviously very important to
prevent building damage
and/or high water bills.
It is now up to the owners
to get leaks fixed or pay
for the water. This is a
way to ensure ongoing
Photo of water meter installed downstream of main shutaccountability.
off valve for unit. The sub-metering concept has worked
The association did have
extraordinarily well for the association.
to recalculate the common area water budget for irrigation,
WATER AND COST SAVINGS
laundry room, etc. The water usage for
Before the sub-meters were installed,
common areas is determined by the
the association occasionally could not
difference between total association
pay the Lynn Water & Sewer Bill in full
usage and the total of the usage in the
and incurred interest charges. In addi55 units. That was well worth the effort
tion, the association was never able to
when you consider that, in addition to
determine why water consumption apthe added benefit of identifying hidden
proximately doubled in 2016 compared
water problems, the system allows
with 2014.
water charges to cease for vacationOnce the meters were installed,
ing or absent residents. The previous
leaks were identified and repaired
year's common water expenses cue
by owners. Unit owner behavior was
expectations for the coming year, which
modified and water consumption
improves budget planning.
reverted to pre-2015 levels.
Year

Water Cost

2014

$28,035.64

2015

$52,895.97

2016

$57,664.00

2017

$29,398.52

2018

$30,209.36

2019

$26,333.42

2020

$24,577.75

The reduced water usage allowed for
condo fees to be reduced by approximately $50 each month. While there
are savings because condo fees were
lowered, unit owners' individual savings
depend on water usage. The sub-meters
ensure equity for everyone because owners are made aware of their water usage
and pay only for the water they use.
While the minimum number of
sub-meter readings would be once per
quarter, meters are read by a trustee
about every other week. This allows
the association to take advantage of
the sub-metering system notifications
of leaks, bursts, floods, and tampering.

In summary, the 55 RFID submeters have saved the association
significant funds, allowed early identification of water issues, and provided
the equitable distribution of water
expenses, which has incentivized unit
owners to reduce unnecessary water
usage. This success story can be replicated in existing associations where
individual water services exclusive
to each unit are available. For new
construction, we recommend that
sub-metered individual water services
be installed similarly to electric and
gas meters for each unit. This will save
associations money and reduce water
usage, benefitting everyone.
■ MARY
SWEENEY IS A
CONDOMINIUM
OWNER IN LYNN,
MASSACHUSETTS
AND PAUL HUIJING, P.E. IS REGIONAL VICE
PRESIDENT, ADVANCED RESERVE SOLUTIONS.

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April 2021 CONDOMEDIA

31
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