What is Submetering?
Simply put, submetering is where you put Metron’s cellular water meters downstream of a single “master” meter which the water utility uses to measure the total water consumed by the property. You get to see the water consumption of the submeters by using WaterScope®, gaining insight into how the water is being used within the property. The water utility doesn’t see the data from your submeters – they are for your use exclusively. There are many great applications for submetering.
Manufactured Housing Communities
Without submetering, the only water consumption data you get is your water bill for the entire manufactured housing park. This leads to billing your residents through RUBS (which isn’t permitted in all states), a practice which is inherently unfair. You also don’t get insight into any leaks, which may be in a home, or may be in a common area.
By installing a small Spectrum meter (leased from Metron) on every residential pad, you get to see exactly how much water each residence is using, and you can bill fairly. In addition, you can get almost immediate alerts when leaks are detected. You can add more submeters for your irrigation system, if you like.
You are also encouraged to have your residents sign up for accounts on WaterScope® so they can see their own water consumption and receive leak alerts relating to their home. Here is a flier you can use to inform your residents about Metron’s submetering benefits: ENGLISH, ESPAÑOL
Application-Specific Submetering
For businesses which use significant amounts of water, it’s useful to measure the consumption for specific applications. This can help with accounting, environmentally responsible practices, and product pricing. For cases where the water doesn’t return to sewer, this data can reduce the sewage bill. Examples of application-specific submetering are:
- A company producing water-based products, such as a brewery or soda manufacturer.
- Cooling towers on a building.
- Manufacturing processes using a lot of water.
- Horticulture.
Metron offers Spectrum meters in a range of sizes to suit any application.
Commercial Properties
Submetering allows water consumption to be accurately monitored for commercial units within a single property, such as a strip mall or office building. This allows the property manager to bill tenants correctly, as well as monitoring for leaks.
Multi-Family Housing
Apartment and condominium blocks are another great opportunity for submetering. This allows the property owner or manager to accurately see the water usage for each apartment in the complex, leading to fair billing. Metron’s ultrasonic Spectrum Wave meters are ideal for this application because they’re silent and can be mounted in any orientation.
Older apartment blocks may not lend themselves to per-apartment metering because that would involve tearing out some walls. However, submetering on a per-building basis is still valuable, as it allows insights into whether there’s a leak within a particular building, or if there are water losses between the main meter and the buildings.
WaterScope’s Leak detection and alerts are especially important in apartment buildings because a leak can damage multiple apartments if not caught quickly.
Still have questions?
Water submetering allows property managers, business owners and water consumers to optimize water use, reduce waste, and improve billing accuracy.
Submetering is the installation of individual water meters for each unit or building in multi-tenant buildings, large residential complexes, commercial buildings, schools, hospitals and more. Compared to a single, primary meter for an entire property, submetering allows for precise monitoring of water use for each unit, building or zone. For multi-tenant scenarios, this practice helps ensure that tenants only pay for the water they use, which encourages responsible consumption and conservation measures.
The combination of water submetering and smart water meters enhances systems with almost real-time data on water usage.
Smart meters send water use data directly to property management software. This allows for effortless management and control of water consumption across multiple units. These meters can also notify property managers of unusual consumption patterns, such as potential leaks or excessive usage. Early detection of critical issues is essential for timely intervention. By catching small problems early, they’re prevented from escalating into expensive repairs, water bills or fines.
Putting water consumption data into tenants’ hands encourages water conservation, because they can now control their water bill.
Smart water meters help prevent water waste by providing tenants with detailed, accurate feedback on their water consumption. This information can encourage tenants to use water more efficiently and discourage misuse of resources. Over time, responsible water habits lead to lower water consumption and reduce the property’s utility costs.
Investment in water submetering and smart meter technology offers significant savings in the long term.
Not only does water submetering and smart meter technology lower water waste, but it also streamlines billing processes, enhances transparency, and provides a competitive advantage by promoting sustainability. This impact makes this technology a valuable investment for property developers and investors. Water submetering helps to maximize profitability while encouraging eco-friendly, sustainable operations. In addition, submetering can increase the value of a property by improving tenant occupancy rates.
Implementation of water conservation measures at such an integral level lessen the negative impact of excessive water use. With efficient monitoring and management of water consumption, businesses can reduce costs – often dramatically – and contribute to the preservation of local water resources.
