In many older apartments, and even in some new buildings, individual water metering is not available for each unit. This means the property manager or the landlord has to set a flat rate for water billing or develop a ratio billing system for the building.
Not only is this extra work, but it is also more challenging to bring in new tenants when individual billing is not possible. To address this issue, many current multifamily buildings are being fitted with apartment water submetering systems.
How It Works
With the choice of apartment water submetering, meters are placed on the main water line going into each apartment. This can be done very quickly and with minimum disruption to water service to the apartments.
In large buildings, it is usually done by floors or sections of the building. This allows the tenants to have advanced notice of any disruption of water and to make alternative plans.
With smart meters are each unit, the tenants only pay for the water they use. This is a benefit for attracting new tenants. It also allows for greater options to implement water conservation programs in the building.
Benefits for Property Owners
Once apartment water submetering systems are installed, a top company will provide a secure login to real-time reporting of water use. This can be instrumental in discovering if water is leaking in the system or if there are appliances, taps or fixtures in the various units may be running or leaking. It is also very effective at monitoring empty units to make sure there is no water usage, which may indicate a plumbing problem that would have gone undetected without a meter.
Sudden or unusual water usage can be checked with the tenant, which is also beneficial as leaks are caught before damage occurs.
