Water Meters and Billing
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Background
System Demographics
Technology
Reading Your Bill
Water Billing Model
Waterworks Financial Plan
Project Status
FAQ
Tips
Questions
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August 2008-Water Meter Business Plan
 Keewatin-Aski Ltd Report
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September 2008-Replacement Sewage Treatment Plant
 3 unsuccessful Comrif grant applications
 Build Canada Fund (BCF-CC) First Intake
 November Council commitment to water meters
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Water Meter Implementation Project
 Infrastructure Stimulus Fund (ISF)
 First municipality to secure funding for water meters
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2012 Trend of Government expectations: MIII
 Municipal Infrastructure Investment Initiative
 Need for Asset Management Plan for grant applications
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Environmental Stewardship
 Water Conservation at source
 Lower sewage discharge to environment
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Infrastructure
 Life cycle extension on assets
 Correct sizing of assets for decreased flow
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Fairness-Equity
 Drives accountability to the customer creating a
sensitivity to consumption.
 Like most other utilities “pay by use”
Meter Size
5/8"
5/8x3/4"
Residential Multi-Res Commercial Industrial Tax Exempt
1,298
1
78
793
57
60
1
3/4"
1"
1.5"
20
5
% of
Total
Total
13
1,390
56.8%
5
917
37.5%
2
1
4
0.2%
28
3
51
2.1%
2
6
29
1
4
45
1.8%
2"
5
16
1
6
28
1.1%
3"
1
4
2
3
10
0.4%
2
2
0.1%
100.0%
4"
2,116
71
217
6
37
2,447
% of total customers
86.5%
2.9%
8.9%
0.2%
1.5%
100.0%
Annual Consumption %
44.6%
4.8%
33.6%
4.9%
12.2%
100.0%
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Neptune E coder 900i register
RF transmitter on T-10 meter
Nutating disk positive
displacement technology
Low pressure drop
High encoder resolution
Leak, backflow and no flow
detection
Bubble up transmission every 14
seconds
2 km line of site transmission
R900i can store 96 days of
hourly logged data
Transmitter integral to register,
no wires required
20 year battery life
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Positive displacement nutating
disk cannot over register
As meter wears the leakage
will favour the customer
Meter face can be read by
waving a flashlight over the
hole designated
The meter will cycle through
flow rate and volume and turn
off after a specific time interval
Customers can use the volume
as an additional leak detection
process by reading the meter
before bed and in the morning
to detect a change.
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Meter takes a reading every 15
minutes, 96 times in 24 hours.
If there is a change of at least one
liter in over 50 times the meter is
read it is considered an
intermittent leak.
If there is a change in all 96 counts
then it is considered a continuous
leak.
Thus care should be taken to not
over react to the intermittent leak
status either by volume or sensing
normal operation.
96 day data download can aid.
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On a monthly basis account
information is downloaded to
the reading unit.
Waterworks personnel drive a
specific route and collect the
2400+ readings in the truck
mounted receiver.
Information is downloaded and
provided to Finance that
uploads the information on the
billing system.
Entire process takes about 4
hours.
Hand held is used where
proximity is an issue or for the
96 day data download.
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Prepared by BMA Management Consultants.
Two part structure: fixed monthly charge + volumetric charge.
Strategy to collect equivalent revenue as 2012 Flat Rate process;
approximately $4.44 million. Funds split 50/50 between water and
sewage treatment.
At approximately 14 m3 the cost is equivalent to the Flat Rate Bill of
$98.18. This results in 50% of residential customers having a
decreased bill, 50% an increased bill.
Volumetric cost of $3.06 cm3 considered water consumed from meter
installation and projected 10% drop in consumption.
Fixed monthly charge is set at 40% of required rate recovery to
provide revenue stability and decrease spread from higher to lower
consumers.
Of 85 Ontario Municipalities 74% a fixed charge and 66% use a
uniform rate.
Also prepared by BMA Management Consultants as a part of
the Water meter request for proposal.
 Municipalities are required by O.Reg 453/07 to provide long
range financial plans. Dryden plan approved October 2012.
 A six year plan to ensure a drinking water system is
financially viable.
 Considers needs for operating and capital budgets, reserves,
debts and assets.
 As per asset management rules our program is underfunded.
Financial plan provides recommendations to resolve.
 Fees gathered would need to cover plan requirements either
by the present flat rate system or consumption model.
 Plan is a living document and can be adjusted as required.
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The average daily domestic water use (per person) in Canada
is 343 litres (Environment Canada) which is second highest in
the world.
Indoor Water Usage
Percent of Total
Toilet
28%
Clothes Washer
22%
Shower
19%
Faucet
15%
Baths
3%
Dishwasher
2%
Leaks
11%
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To check if your toilet is leaking add a few drops of food colouring
in your toilet tank at night. If the colour is present in the bowl the
next morning, you have a leak.
To determine the amount of a leak or detect a leak you can read
the water meter volume at night and compare in the morning.
For between $20 to $30 you can purchase a system that will
convert your single flush toilet to a dual flush toilet.
Low flow shower heads can reduce consumption up to 60% over
conventional.
Faucet use represents about 15% of your household water use.
Turn off the faucet when brushing your teeth, cold water in the
fridge is better than running the tap until cold.
Use the internet.
Q: How will the billing process affect “snowbirds”? A: There is now a charge for Water turned off & on at the curb‐stop. With water turned off the monthly fixed cost will be eliminated until the Water is turned back on. Water off/on requests are to be made at City Hall. Q: What if I have a problem with my system that takes time to resolve? A: The customer and staff will review the issue and agree upon a solution with timeline. Q: Will there be an incentive program to promote conservation? A: Staff is considering a program presently and will try to partner with organizations and corporations to promote water conservation. Q: I have brown water periodically does running my taps or toilet
affect my bill?
A: It would take 50 minutes of running water in your bathtub to use 1
cm3 of water or approximately 75 flushes of an inefficient toilet.
Thus it would be not be cost effective to chase a $1.00-$3.00
refund under normal conditions. If your situation is frequent then
a system analysis would be in order.
Q: I have an aquaflow unit to keep my waterline from freezing does
that add to my water bill?
A: An aquaflow unit drives water back and forth through the water
supply pipe and meter to keep the water from freezing. The meter
will add or subtract flow depending upon direction so the net
affect will be zero thus no addition to your bill.