SEPA

Improving Water Management Using
Advanced Metering Infrastructure Data:

A Guide for Facility Managers

Water Sense


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Improving Water Management Using Advanced Metering
Infrastructure Data: A Guide for Facility Managers

WaterSense

Beyond labeling products, homes, and professional certification programs that help save water, the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) WaterSense® program also develops technical
tools and resources to assist commercial and institutional facilities in identifying and implementing
water efficiency best management practices. Measuring and monitoring water consumption data
is a great first step for property owners and facility managers to take to improve facility or campus
water management, and advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) can be a useful tool to support that
process. This guide provides an overview of the benefits of AMI, common ways to access AMI data,
and tips for using AMI data to improve facility water efficiency and water management.

How AMI Works

Data is encrypted
and sent via a
signal to a collector.

Your water utility receives the
secure data on regular intervals.
Using that data, they may be able
to identify suspected leaks,
irregular watering patterns, or
trends in water use that could be
used to help you (or your facility)
improve efficiency.

Your water use data, shown
by the hour or by the day,
may be available to view
through an online portal.

Data on water usage is
collected at your meter.

Your water use will be
available on your bill, but
more detailed information
may be available through a
report from your utility.

Figure 1: How AMI works

What Is AMI?

AMI is a collection of devices and systems used
by utilities to collect, measure, communicate, and
analyze water use data from treatment through
delivery to customers. Many water utilities are
embracing AMI to modernize and streamline
their operations. The increase in data improves
their ability to serve their customers, target and
monitor conservation programs, detect and
measure water loss, and increase security and
reliability. AMI also improves time efficiency,
allowing utilities to redirect time and resources
spent reading meters to other projects.

In many cases, AMI technology also provides
commercial and institutional facilities easy access
to accurate, timely, and on-demand water use
information that can be used to operate a facility
more efficiently. AMI meters often collect water
consumption data hourly (or more frequently),
providing property owners and facility managers
with a resource to identify use trends, uncover
leaks, anticipate equipment failures before they
occur, and seek opportunities for improving water
efficiency.

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Improving Water Management Using Advanced Metering
Infrastructure Data: A Guide for Facility Managers

WaterSense

Why Use AMI Data?

Save Water and Money

Water and sewer costs are included in overhead
and considered part of the cost of doing
business. However, when it comes to cutting
costs, these utilities are often overlooked. Saving
water can also result in energy savings for
fixtures and appliances that consume hot water.
By using AMI to implement informed efficiency
practices, you could be saving money and water.

Protect Equipment and Facilities

Commercial water damage is one of the most
common and costly claims for businesses, yet
it is a regular exception in insurance policies.
Beyond the cost of the water itself, average
repairs may exceed $10,000, as water damage
can affect floors, walls, ceilings, equipment,
and even foundations. Facility flooding can
also damage electrical equipment or lead to
environmental or safety hazards related to gray
or black water damage and mold, which can
result in operational downtime.

Demonstrate Value

Unexpected shutdowns or service interruptions
can mean lost revenue and poor perceptions
from management or building occupants. AMI

equips facility staff with data to quickly identify
water-related problems, so you can make repairs
or spot an issue before it becomes a crisis.
Facility managers can also use meter data to
report savings to executive management and get
buy-in for additional efficiency projects. Sharing
and promoting data-based decision-making for
water conservation demonstrates the value of a
facilities management team.

Avoid Surprise Bills

Many facility managers only interact with water
on a monthly or quarterly basis when the bill
comes, if they even see the bills, but they are
the first ones management will call when a leak
sends a water or sewer bill skyrocketing. With
the ability to check water use in near-real time,
you can monitor for irregular water use and make
repairs before the bill increases. Many customer
portals even offer the ability to set alerts for
exceeding a certain amount of water use over
a period of time or receive notifications if the
system suspects a leak.

Perform Preventative Maintenance

Does your facility have old, water-cooled air
conditioning units, dishwashers, or toilets?

Is an old irrigation system starting to fail? By
referencing AMI data, you may be able to isolate





BILLING PERIOD CUMULATIVE USE



• Cumulative Use

Estimated Use





40k





Cumulative
gallons







20k









Jun 6 Jun 13 Jun 20

Jun 27

You've used 7,104.90 Gallons this billing period

At this rate we estimate you'll use about 27,909 Gallons total, which is
29% more than your typical use. These estimates are informational only.

PAST 24 MONTHS
Previous Year • Current Year
2k

i I..-JJJJMJJ

Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May

Increasing use

You used about 130% more water during the most recent twelve-month
period compared to the prior twelve-month period.

Figure 2: Some customer portals offer a monthly projection including your total bill amount, as well as total water use.
They may also show a comparison of water use month-over-month or year-over-year. Image of VXengage portal
(previously known as the WaterSmart portal) provided by VertexOne, care ofScotts Valley Water District.

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Improving Water Management Using Advanced Metering
Infrastructure Data: A Guide for Facility Managers

WaterSense

the water use of your equipment. From there you
can detect if it is operating efficiently or starting to
fail. You can also conduct a payback analysis to
determine the return on investment for replacing
or upgrading fixtures, appliances, and equipment.

Exhibit Leadership

Water efficiency goes beyond protecting your
facility and equipment from damage. Data from
AMI can help you address changing regulations,
business priorities, and sustainability objectives.
Green building certifications and other recognition
for green businesses are growing. Many
organizations are establishing environmental,
social, and governance (ESG) or sustainability
goals to reduce energy and water use to lessen
their environmental impacts. AMI data can
assist facility managers in accurately tracking
consumption and targeting efficiency projects to
meet these goals.

Strive for Sustainability

Engaging in sustainable practices can help
businesses grow. Studies show that customers
and employees care more about sustainability
than ever before. According to recent NielsenlQ
data, about 73 percent of consumers claim they
are willing to change their purchasing habits to
reduce their environmental impact.1 The same
practices show a positive impact on employee
recruitment and retention.

How Do You Access AMI Data?

One of the benefits of AMI is making information
on water use readily available to customers
through an online portal. Customer portals are
ideally integrated into existing online billing and
account systems; however, in some cases they
can be housed on a separate, secure website.
Even if an online portal is not available, it still may
be possible for facilities to access their water use

data. Below are a few strategies for accessing
data.

Online Customer Portals

Many AMI utility programs include an online
customer portal that provides access to the
meter data. This portal is commonly integrated
with customer billing, so you may need to talk
to the person at your facility who is responsible
for paying water bills to get access. Portals
regularly provide hourly water use data for
days, weeks, months, and sometimes even
years. Customer portals sometimes include
additional information on local incentive or rebate
programs, watering regulations, conservation
tips, resources on finding and repairing leaks,
and more. Some utilities have even gamified their
portals, developing ways to reward customers for
using water efficiently, educating themselves, or
participating in conservation programs.

Many portals allow the customer to set
notifications. Most systems have at least one
or more customizable options including email,
call, text, or U.S. mail. Setting notifications is
especially useful when you are not onsite, or if
suspicious water use is difficult to detect (e.g.,
underground leaks, during times of vacancies).
Depending on the utility and software, the AMI
system usually offers notifications of a potential
leak (defined by a minimum volume of continuous
use over a certain duration or a sharp increase
in use). You may also be able to set alerts based
on hitting a dollar or volume of water threshold,
which is helpful for meeting budgets, as well as
avoiding higher priced water consumption tiers.
The options may be programmed or modified
specifically for your facility. For example, if you
have normal continuous use as part of your
operations, you can override or customize the
notification setting for a leak.

1 https://nielsenia.com/alobal/en/insiahts/analvsis/2019/a-natural-rise-in-sustainabilitv-around-the-world/

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improving Water Management Using Advanced Metering
Infrastructure Data: A Guide for Facility Managers

Use History

Jan 1, 2022 3 - Jun 9. 2022 3

BILLING

LEAKS

DAY WEEK 2 WEEKS 2 MONTHS YEAR

Normal Use • Possible Leak # Timed Irrigation

Data Unavailable

3000

c
O

"nj
O

2000

1000

/V





sv



Figure 3: Customer portal showing daily water use arid the volume of daily use that may be indicative of a possible
leak for the facility to investigate. Image of VXengage portal (previously known as the WaterSmart portal) provided by
VertexOne, care of Scotts Valley Water District.

Improving AMI-Based Utility Programs

Utilities continue to explore new ways
to use AMI data to help customers. For
example, the Metropolitan North Georgia
Water Planning District has convened an
AMI Users Group, a statewide group to
facilitate discussion among water utilities
that have implemented AMI or are interested
in doing so. Members connect with other
utilities within the region and share their
successes, challenges, and overall journey.
With over 20 water utilities and growing,
they work together to solve issues, develop
standards, and implement best practices to
help customers access and benefit from AMI
data. Utilities often welcome input from their
customers, especially in the commercial,
industrial, or institutional sectors.

Water Utility Staff

Some utilities install AMI meters prior to—or
without—developing a customer portal. In that
case, the utility usually still has access to the
data. This data could be updated multiple times
each day, overnight, or on an otherwise regular
schedule. One of the many benefits of AMI is its
ability to help utilities reduce costs by reducing
water waste and increasing water use efficiency.
To that end, utility staff are generally eager to
share this data with customers and could be
willing to provide recent meter reads by request
or on a regular basis. They may even be able to
program the software to run a report on specific
days or intervals.

Water Bills

By using AMI, customer bills can become more
transparent and accurate. Water bills for your
facility may compare billing periods or include

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WaterSense

information on accessing AMI data. Information
on AMI, accessing portals, or requesting reports
could be included as an insert into your water bill.

What and How Can AMI Data Be
Used?

With multiple AMI technologies on the market,
your water data could be displayed in one of
several formats with varying degrees of detail
and functionality. Ideally, and most often, data
are shown on an hourly basis with bar charts that
can be customized to reflect a day, week, month,
or any period in between. There are a variety of
programs and software available to help analyze
and visualize time-interval water use data,
including ENERGY STAR® Portfolio Manager®

By analyzing more granular data, facility
managers can begin to identify trends and
patterns. Unexplained usage or anomalies to
these trends could indicate leaks or other issues.
For example, if the business has a general
baseline use and the data show a steady or
sudden increase, it could indicate an open valve
running to a drainpipe, a cracked pipe that has
started to spread, or even a burst pipe or stuck
irrigation valve. AMI data may also help to look
for other patterns, such as when your irrigation
system is running. This can help inform you if
your irrigation schedule may need to be adjusted
or reduced in time, especially if the local water
utility has watering restrictions at certain times or
on certain days during periods of drought.

The following summarizes types of available
data and common applications that can help with
water management.

Total Water Use

While AMI provides meter readings on a more
frequent basis, the total water use for a billing
period is generated using the same data. These
advanced and automated meter readings are less

susceptible to human error, as well as problems
that can result in estimated readings (e.g., a
meter being blocked by snow or a vehicle).

Trends and Outliers

Since data are available more frequently, water
utility staff and customers with portal access can
quickly identify water use trends. By looking at
week-to-week water usage, for example, you
may be able to spot peak production periods,
or the exact hours when your irrigation system
is running. You could also compare water
use across a day, week, or month to evaluate
changes. For example, by comparing water use
during certain periods of time, facility managers
may be able to:

•	Estimate water use from certain end uses,
such as irrigation or cooling towers.

•	Evaluate the impacts of weather on water
use.

•	Understand how building occupancy or
operating conditions impact water use.

•	Quantify water savings from fixing leaks,
efficiency projects, or conservation
campaigns.

•	Identify errors in equipment programming,
such as irrigation running at the wrong time
or on the wrong days.

Leak Detection and Isolation

Most AMI systems have integrated technology
that generates continuous use reports, also
known as leak reports. The parameters may be
a default value or they could be set by the water
utility. Default values can range in terms of the
volume of water per hour, as well as the length
of time before continuous use shows up on a
report. These reports can be used to generate
notifications in an online portal, or your utility may
contact you directly. Even if alerts indicate only a
small leak, it is important to investigate and repair
them before they become worse and waste more.

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improving Water Management Using Advanced Metering
Infrastructure Data: A Guide for Facility Managers

BILLING BILL EXPLAINER USE HISTORY USE ANALYSIS PROFILE PREFERENCES FORMS ACTIONS PROGRAMS

0 Leak Alert

Continuous

Started
Jun 1

Rate
50 GPH

Volume
7,462 Gal

Alert

Email Alert

Status
No

Cause











Sent
June 2
at 49 GPH

Response





Figure 4: Customer Portal Leak Alert. Image of VXengage portal (previously known as the WaterSmart portal)
provided by VertexOne, care of Scotts Valley Water District.

It is worth rioting that continuous use does not
always indicate a leak. For example, some
equipment uses water continuously (e.g., medical
equipment for kidney dialysis treatment). AMI
can often interpret these types of equipment as a
possible leak.

Benchmarking Facilities

If you manage multiple buildings, businesses, or
irrigation systems, it can be perplexing when one
of them is using more water and/or energy than
the others. By benchmarking your facilities, you
can compare and analyze water use patterns
and volumes and target high-water-consuming
buildings to incorporate best management
practices. ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager
or other utility management software can help
manage AMI data and offer insights on water
performance.

Specialized Information

Depending on the system installed by the water
utility, AM! may provide more than just the volume
of water used. Some AMI systems provide
information on water pressure, temperature, or
water quality. Depending on the type of facility
you manage, water quality could be vital to
product development (e.g., a beverage
manufacturer) or for maintaining equipment prone
to scaling (e.g., cooling towers). Appropriate
water pressure can be important for the proper
functionality of equipment that is designed to
operate within a specific range. High pressure
can be a contributing factor for equipment failure,

Continuous Water Use

Your water has been running continuously
since 2:00 AM on Thursday, February 3, 2022

Investigate Possible Leak »

If it is normal for your property or business to
use water continuously, please let us know

Mark This Use As Normal »

Adjust Your Alert Settings »

ESTIMATED
GALLONS

4
1,068

ESTIMATED
DURATION

25

hours

4 ESTIMATED
*4 RATE

42 gph

Continuous use is often an indication of a running toilet or leaky
irrigation valve.

Your Account, Your Way

You opted to receive these possible leak alerts

Manage Your Notification Settings »

Figure 5: Additional information on continuous water use
and options to resolve offered through a customer portal.
Image of VXengage portal (previously known as the
WaterSmart portal) provided by VertexOne, care of Scotts
Valley Water District.

as well as excessive water consumption, and
may indicate the need for a pressure regulator.
Some AMI systems allow utilities to turn a
water meter off or on remotely. In the event

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WaterSense

your business has a catastrophic leak, calling
your utility to have the water shut off quickly
could save thousands of dollars in damage. AMI
systems that include this function can also be
beneficial when you need the water shut off for
repairs and reduce the wait time before water
service can be restored.

Real-Time Feedback

Large facilities can have multiple sources of
water use—and water loss, such as leaks. If
you undertake a repair, it is good to know if that
repair has solved the problem. With access to
data in real-time through AMI, you could fix a
stuck valve or toilet leak in the morning and know
by afternoon if that leak was the only problem.
You can also use the data to isolate issues. For
example, if you turn off the water supply line to
equipment with a suspected issue, such as an
air conditioning unit or irrigation line, you could
check your portal shortly thereafter to see if it is
still reflecting continuous water use. If it is still
showing use, you can rule out that equipment or
systems fed by that water supply line. If the water
use stops, then you know that is where you have
to investigate further.

Take Action on AMI

1. Contact Your Utility

Contacting your utility is a good first step to
determining if your facility currently has AMI
and whether they provide access to a customer
portal or can otherwise share interval water
use data. As illustrated in the case studies on
the following pages, it also pays to check with
your local water supplier to ask about rebates
or other incentives that could help you make the
case for water efficiency projects and offset the
costs of improvements. Utilities may offer bill
adjustments for timely leak repairs, as well as
rebates for turf removal, toilet replacement, high-

efficiency sprinklers, cooling tower controllers,
and more. Some even offer assistance in
locating leaks or surveying the facility or irrigation
systems. WaterSense maintains a list of rebate
opportunities at www.epa.aov/watersense/rebate-
finder.

2.	Pursue Leak Detection

You can review AMI data to determine whether
water use is occurring continuously or during
unexpected periods, such as overnight, on
weekends, or during holidays. Once you know
a leak exists, the next step is to isolate the
location in preparation for repair. Walk through
the property and visually inspect water-using
equipment both inside and outside, including
checking in storm drains, under sinks, or other
places where water may be unexpectedly
flowing or puddling. Many leaks are silent and
challenging to uncover, so work with your utility
or a specialized leak detection company, as
necessary.

3.	Set Up Facility-Specific Notifications

AMI portals are typically designed to meet the
needs of most—but perhaps not all—customers.
If your facility has continuous use as part of
its regular operations, you could receive false
or nuisance notifications. You may be able to
revise these notifications within the portal or ask
your utility how they can be customized. Some
software allows the customer to respond to
notifications directly online, for example, when
you are investigating a leak or if continuous
usage was intentional for a time period, such as
when filling a storage tank, fountain, or pool.

4.	Monitor Consumption and Get Recognized

As discussed previously, regularly monitoring
water consumption is a critical step in a facility's
water efficiency and water management efforts.
Whether tracking for leak detection, internal

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reporting, pursuing green building certification, or
participating in a buildings challenge, AMI data
can help property owners and facility managers
more easily monitor water consumption and
progress towards meeting water efficiency goals.

Explore Additional Resources
and Case Studies

EPA has developed additional resources that can
help you track utility consumption, understand
water-using systems, and identify strategies for
improving water efficiency and reducing operating
costs.

•	ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager, www.
eneravstar.gov/buildinas/benchmark

•	WaterSense at Work: Best Management
Practices for Commercial and Institutional
Facilities, www, epa. aov/watersense/best-
manaaement-practices

•	WaterSense Fix a Leak Week. www.epa.
gov/watersense/fix-leak-week

The case studies on the following pages show
AMI in action and demonstrate water savings
results.

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Improving Water Management Using Advanced Metering

Infrastructure Data: A Guide for Facility Managers	^

VvaterSense

Case Study: Freeman Toyota
and Santa Rosa Water

Santa Rosa Water in California offers customized
assistance to help commercial customers
eliminate water waste and improve water
efficiency through comprehensive water audits
by dedicated professional technical staff. The
utility has worked with many local businesses to
achieve water savings and reduce water loss due
to breaks and leaks.

After Santa Rosa Water's WaterSmart Portal
identified continuous use of approximately 140
gallons of water per hour for 48 consecutive
hours at Freeman Toyota, Ryan Freeman
immediately created a customer account to
access water use data for all of the dealership's
water meters. Ryan also contacted the utility's
water efficiency team for assistance finding the
leak.

An onsite water audit revealed several toilet
leaks, but these were not wasting enough water
to account for the volume of continuous use. After Toyota for Santa Rosa Water rebates. Based on
additional investigation, Santa Rosa Water and the audit recommendations combined with water
Freeman Toyota were able to isolate an issue use statistics, Freeman Toyota decided to replace
with the facility's car wash. (he car wash vendor all of its urinals. Santa Rosa Water provided a

rebate that covered the cost
of the new fixtures.

"One of our managers now
keeps a close eye on all
of our water usage. This
alerted us to the fact that
our irrigation system was
leaking water during the
wintertime even though
the system was turned
off. We can now gauge
our water use and identify
issues as they arise, and
we're working proactively
to reduce our water use,"
Freeman said.

Image Courtesy Freeman Toyota

was called in and discovered the recirculating
water system was malfunctioning and running
continuously. The leaking toilets and car wash
recirculating system were repaired (see Figure
6), and these repairs reduced Freeman Toyota's
water usage by 50 percent. "I appreciated getting
a courtesy call from Santa Rosa Water after their
system flagged a spike in water use on one of
our meters. The onsite audit was informative and
helped us quickly identify and resolve the issue,"
Ryan Freeman said.

The onsite survey also pre-qualified Freeman

FREEMAN TOYOTA

Mar 1, 2022 - Mar 3, 2022

2000-	- 80

| All Intervals	Total	— Temp.

29978.0 GAL	29978.0 GAL

Figure 6: AMI data indicating that the car wash and toilet leaks were resolved on
March 3,

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improving Water Management Using Advanced Metering
Infrastructure Data: A Guide for Facility Managers

Case Study: WorldMark by
Wyndham and Big Bear Lake
Department of Water

Over the course of three years, WorldMark by
Wyndham, located in Big Bear Lake, California,
removed more than 34,000 square feet of grass.
Facility Manager Francisco "Mike" Duran got
started by contacting the City of Big Bear Lake
Department of Water and Power (BBLDWP),
where he learned that the business would qualify
for a turf buyback. While the BBLDWP did not
have a customer portal at the time of publication,
they offer reports to customers upon request,
answer inquiries, and send AMI use charts to
customers whenever they detect an irregularity.

WorldMark compared data from 2011 to 2014,
prior to the turf removal and just prior to having
their AMI meter installed. During the following
four years, the business was able reduce their
water consumption by more than 40 percent,
saving over 5 million gallons of water from
2015 to 2018 during one of California's severe
droughts. Having the ability to track daily and
weekly water use using AMI meant that they
could quickly begin to measure their savings and
start making the case for future projects.

WorldMark Irrigation Meter Total

5,000
t" 4,500
s 4,000

g

£ 3,500

cc
o

§ 3,000

X

8j	2,500

|	2,000

0	1,500

1	1,000
>

500
0

4,366

4,228

2,218

2,296

2,400

2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018

Figure 7; A BBLDWP chart using partial AMI data to
indicate a drop in water use after turf removal

Figure 8: WorldMark Facility Manager Mike Duran and
Housekeeping Manager Chelsea Coulthard stand on the
patch of mulch that once was turf.

Their good work went beyond turf removal;
when an employee started installing high-
efficiency sprinkler heads on the remaining turf,
Duran submitted their efforts to the corporate
headquarters as part of "Green-Handed," a
Wyndham sustainability initiative, and they are
featured in the company newsletter. The facility
continues to remove non-functional turf and uses
the buyback funds to install mulch, plant drought-
tolerant species, and create recreational facilities.

Reviewing utility notices also helped WorldMark
stay in compliance with local watering restrictions,
resolve leaks, and identify other efficiency
opportunities. After changing landscaping
contractors, WorldMark received a notice that
they were irrigating out-of-cycle and not in
compliance with the local utility's regulations.

With illustrated usage charts, they were quickly
able to resolve the issue with the new contractor.
They also received a continuous use notice from
the utility's AMI reports; upon investigation, the
team discovered a failed toilet flapper. Duran also
worked with their housekeeping manager to start
replacing old toilets and received rebates from
the City of Big Bear Lake.

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Improving Water Management Using Advanced Metering
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WaterSense

Case Study: Albuquerque
Public School System and
Albuquerque Bernalillo Water
Utility Authority

With help from the local water utility, the
Albuquerque Public School (APS) system
received an education in water conservation. The
Albuquerque Bernalillo Water Utility Authority
(ABWUA) in New Mexico rolled out an AMI leak
inspection program between June 2020 and
May 2021, with partner Smart Use. ABWUA
conducted more than 100 indoor and outdoor
leak inspections in the schools and found over
400 leaks. One cooling system, for example, was
leaking 1,000 gallons per hour. When APS
facilities staff saw water at the base of the
system, they assumed it was from normal
condensation. Working together, ABWUA began
training APS staff on how to identify irregular
water use stemming from different equipment
found at school sites.

At the beginning of the program, APS had
an average continuous use of 300 gallons of

water per hour across all school sites. At the
end of the year, and with the help of ABWUA,
they had identified and fixed so many leaks
that the continuous use dropped to less than
25 gallons per hour. "The most important thing
out of this effort is that we developed a really
good relationship with these folks and now
we are able to not only identify the leaks, but
we became partners in the story," said Carlos
Bustos Landivar, water conservation manager for
ABWUA. "We can work together to identify the
best way to correct the situation."

Figure 9 shows the history of APS and ABWUA
working together to find and repair leaks. The
dotted trendline shows how the number of leaks
per day has declined from around 180 to below
100.

Since the inception of this program, APS made
significant changes to the way leaks in the
schools are handled. Work orders for leak-related
issues are tracked daily to avoid long-term,
unresolved leaks, regular meetings are held
to discuss persistent problems, and a training
program is being planned for the custodial staff to
increase their role in leak mitigation.

Figure 9: APS undertaking leaks at schools

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WaterSense

Case Study: The Coddington
Center and Santa Rosa Water

When making repairs to eliminate leaks, it is vital
to check the data to verify that continuous water
flow is no longer occurring and your water use
has otherwise returned to normal. Coddingtown
Center is a Santa Rosa, California, shopping
center that includes a mix of over 40 specialty
shops, large department stores and restaurants.
Coddingtown General Manager Jimmy Scales
contacted Santa Rosa Water after noticing
that their water bill had more than doubled.

Data confirmed that usage on one of the large
commercial meters had recently spiked and was
flowing continuously at over 1,000 gallons per
hour.

Santa Rosa Water's water efficiency team
met with Coddingtown staff and performed an
inspection of all areas served by the meter. No
obvious leaks were found; however, a submeter
to one of the restaurants in the mall showed that
water usage had been increasing. This pointed
to a potential mainline leak somewhere inside a
restaurant.

A leak detection company was hired, which found
and repaired a large mainline break under the
restaurant's concrete slab. Data confirmed that
the continuous usage had been significantly
reduced but was not resolved. After additional
investigation, another mainline break was found
and repaired, then a third leak was found and
repaired. Each time, utility staff provided data
and informed the mall's general manager that the
usage was still continuous. Ultimately, all mainline
leaks were repaired, saving thousands of gallons
of water per day.

Image Courtesy Coddington Center

"We would have never found these leaks without
Santa Rosa Water's help and the AM i report
data," said Jimmy Scales, Coddington Center
general manager. "The hourly usage helped us
narrow down our investigation and pinpoint the
exact time the usage was occurring. Without it,
we may have thought the problem was solved
after the first repair was done. Who knows how
long it would have taken us to find all of the other
mainline breaks?"

SERA

PHONE (866) WTR-SENS C987-736?) WEBSITE wvw;epa,goY/watersense EMAILw3ter5ense@epa.goy	EPA-832-F-22-016

SEPTEMBER 2022

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