HomeMy WebLinkAbout6 - Update on Water Monitor Pilot Program
CITY OF BOULDER
WATER RESOURCES ADVISORY BOARD
AGENDA ITEM
MEETING DATE: September 20, 2010
AGENDA TITLE: Results of Water Monitor Pilot Program
PRESENTERS: Ned Williams, Director of Public Works for Utilities
Bronwyn Weygandt, Billing Services Supervisor for Utilities
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
City staff has completed the water monitor pilot program which included a survey and analysis
of the 86 customers who have purchased water monitors. The goals of the study were to
determine: 1) if the water monitor worked reliably and was easy to use; 2) if the customer used
the monitor to track use; 3) if the water monitor was a useful tool to manage water use and 4) did
customers use the water monitor to stay within their monthly water budget.
Results showed that water monitors are reliable, easy to use and are good for tracking water use,
especially for metered irrigation and single family accounts. The monitors provide real time
feedback on the amount of water a customer is using and are extremely useful for leak detection.
BACKGROUND ON WATER MONITORS:
At its Feb. 22, 2010 meeting, the Water Resources Advisory Board (WRAB) and staff discussed
a water monitor pilot program to assess the benefits of owning a water monitor device to
effectively monitor water use. At the meeting, WRAB approved a survey to gather data from the
86 customers who already own water monitors and to gain feedback on the monitor's reliability,
convenience and usefulness. WRAB also approved conducting an analysis of each customer's
water use data for the time period before and after purchasing a monitor.
Water monitors are currently available for all City of Boulder water customers for $200 each.
The price includes the cost of the unit itself ($75) plus the cost to upgrade the water meter
transponder to an Orion, which is needed to use the water monitor. Approximately 50 percent of
the city's meters will be upgraded by 2011 and as a result staff has proposed to reduce the price
of the monitor to $75 as part of the 2011 recommended budget.
ANALYSIS:
Staff distributed the survey in April 2010 to the 86 customers who have purchased water
monitors. Thirty-five customers completed and returned the survey (41% response rate). The
results of the survey showed that 44% of customers purchased the water monitor to track water
use, 19% purchased it to either detect leaks or improve water conservation efforts and I%
PAGE 1
purchased the monitor to stay within their monthly water budget. Customers felt that the monitor
worked for the purpose for which they had purchased it and felt that the monitor was reliable,
convenient and easy to use. Most customers responded that they would use it more during a
drought situation. The survey responses showed that 44% of customers use it weekly and 32%
use it mainly use it during the summer months. A summary of the survey results and customer
comments is included in Attachment A.
To analyze the customers' usage patterns, staff compared their average water use over/under
budget before they purchased the water monitor to their average water use over/under budget
after they purchased the water monitor. Of the 86 customers that purchased water monitors, 22
customers could not be used in the analysis because they had either purchased the water monitor
in January 2007 when water budgets were first implemented or in December 2009 at the end of
the analysis period. There were also other factors that influenced water usage to budget
comparison, other than uses of a water monitor, such as water budget adjustments, leaks, account
type changes, weather, property sales and occupancy. Attachment B provides graphs
summarizing the results of the analysis.
Based on the survey results and water usage analysis, Staff believes water monitors are helpful in
monitoring water use, especially for single family and metered irrigation accounts. Twenty-two
of the single-family accounts analyzed were under their monthly water budget before purchasing
the water monitor. Three accounts were slightly over budget before purchasing the water
monitor and two of those decreased their use after purchasing the water monitor. Twelve metered
irrigation accounts were under budget before purchasing the water monitor and three were over
budget and all three reduced their use after purchasing the monitor.
Water monitors are not as helpful for multifamily accounts where there is a single meter serving
multiple living units. These customers can use the water monitor to monitor water use, but they
don't have control over the use of the water by the customers served by the meter. Multifamily
customers can install efficient fixtures, such as low flow toilets or showerheads, restrict use of
outside hoses and they can educate their residents, but they have no control over how their
residents use the water. Six multifamily customers have purchased water monitors. Three were
over budget before the water monitors were purchased and two have reduced their total use
although they are still over budget. The other three accounts were under budget before and after
purchasing the water monitor.
Water monitors also do not work as well for commercial customers. Businesses can install
efficient appliances and implement policies that reduce water use, but most businesses have no
control over toilet and sink use and must use even more water if their business demands it.
However, all customers can benefit from using water monitors to detect leaks. The water monitor
is equipped with an LED indicator that flashes when a suspected water leak exists. The water
monitor is able to notify the customer if there is no one-hour periods of zero consumption during
the past 24 hours. The city reads water meters once a month so if the customer can catch a leak
within 24 hours rather than waiting until they receive their monthly water bill, a lot of water
could be saved.
PAGE 2
RESULTS:
Results showed that water monitors are reliable, easy to use and are good for tracking water use,
especially for metered irrigation and single family accounts. The monitors provide real time
feedback on the amount of water a customer is using and are extremely useful for leak detection.
This pilot identified several opportunities to help customers conserve water.
♦ Reduce water monitor prices to $75 each (this is included in the 2011 recommended
budget).
♦ Rent water monitors for a $75 deposit. Customer could pick up a water monitor
programmed for their water meter at the Utility Billing counter. If the customer,
chooses to keep the monitor longer than 90 days, then the deposit would be retained
and the customer would own the monitor.
♦ Educate customers on proper lawn irrigation in Colorado's climate. Many customers
over-water due to a lack of knowledge about Colorado climate. Water Conservation
staff continues to develop educational materials on this topic and inform customers
about effective and efficient irrigation practices.
♦ Provide incentives for multifamily and commercial/industrial/institutional customers
to upgrade to low flow toilets, showerheads, water saving appliances and devices.
ATTACHMENTS:
Attachment A - Survey Summary and Customer Comments
Attachment B - Graphs of Water Use
PAGE 3
ATTACHMENT A
Water Monitor Survey Results
Mailed Returned Response
City Accounts 4 4 100%
Non-City Accounts 87 36 41% (2 Online; 34 Paper)
No
Yes No Answer Daily Weekly Monthly Other
1 Has monitor worked reliably? 28 5 3
2 Has monitor been convenient to use? 28 6 2
3 Has monitor info been easy to understand? 27 7 2
4 Has monitor helped reduce use? 25 9 2
5 Do you use monitor to track use? 25 9 2
6 Do you track your use compared to budget? 19 15 2
7 How often do you use your monitor? 2 2 15 6 11
8 Would you use monitor more during a drought? 27 7 2
Reasons Customers Purchased the monitor. # of reponses
Track Use 16
Catch Leaks 7
Conserve Water 6
Stay in Budget 4
No Comment 3
How the monitor helps customers manage use. # of reponses
Track use compared to budget 15
No Comment 6
Increased awareness 5
Identify leaks 4
Does not help manage water use 4
Other Comments # of reponses
No Comment 9
Useful, Like it a lot 2
Never used, not easy to use 2
Attachment A - page 1
9. Why did you purchase monitor?
To know how much water I use in my yard, DW,
shower, household tasks To track water usage, especially sprinkler system.
To catch leaks in our 30 year oldsprinkler system. Quantitative water conservation.
Monitor sprinkler use To track and manage our water budget.
To avoid exceeding our water budgets; especially in
summer. To do all of the above.
To track usage, but the device was expensive and not
user friendly - a waste of money. I wanted to be able to track my water usage.
Interested in water conservation and knowing
Yes usage.
To measure sprinkler use and possible leaks/toilet
running. To manage sprinkler water usage.
To check water usage during different times of the
To alert us to leaks. ear; especially during landscape watering season.
To help conserve water. To monitor water use in my commercial building
To be able to determine water usage from some older
toilets and clothes washer. No Comment
I was having a water use problem and trying to Help detect leaks before the monthly bill identifies
understand it. excess use.
To stay within water budget. Save money and save water.
To determine whether we had leaks in our sprinkler
system. To see if I had a leak.
To keep track of our consumption especially during
To track and adjust water use and not over water yard. the summer.
I am a water conservation professional and want to Thought it would be a good idea - had sprinkler
keep up with changes in technology. system repaired at the time.
We had a very odd billing cycle on 2/11/-08 - 33 days -
$50.41. The next cycle was 28 days - $74.21. It was
getting ridiculous not knowing our usage. It was
cheaper to buy the $200 unit than to continue paying I wanted to check water consumption of different
you at the water company/office. tasks: shower, washing machine, sprinkler_
Monitor water, detect leaks/ problems earl on. Help look for leak insprinkler system.
To alert us to leaks. No Comment
Attachment A - page 2
10. How does the monitor help you manage use?
I am aware of what I use especially in the yard and When quantity reached - home, sprinkler - shut water
with hand watering. down.
See # 6 and # 9 Matching volume/s ft so all are balanced.
Provides "real-time" information of our current budget
"status". Also allow us to quantify the amount of water
if takes to shower, wash closthes and water the
Keeps over-run fees to a minimum. lawn/ garden.
We reset it every month and then check it during Water monitor hasn't worked. Would like to use if to
the month to see how we are doing. track usage.
No comment No comment
I have used it primarily to track usage of certain items
on an occasitional basis. For example, I have used it
to find out how much water each zone of my sprinkler
system uses, or how much my swamp cooler uses
No comment (with no other water usage in the house.)
Watch weekly use mostly in summer. To keep within budget.
Modifying and more efficient use of the landscape
To alert us to leaks. watering systems.
I watch it from week to week, paying closer
attention. Also, I've used it to measure how much
water is consumed for showers, launder y, etc. It does not.
Absolutely! No comment
I don't use it to manage water use. We read it week) to monitor usage.
Check close to end of monthly budget, before high
cost block, turn off lawn sprinkler till beginning of next
Particularly water for irrigation. cycle.
I used it mostly by the month, but also daily to
check yard zone use to stay on or below budget
and balance zones. It doesn't. Who knows if it works reliably.
We have identified leaks and saved approx. 50,000 Compare use (especially lawn sprinkling) with monthly
al over two summers. budget.
It's useful to see how much water is being used. No comment
No comment Helps adjust the sprinkler time using rate /sf.
Track how much water is used by the sprinkler
Can attribute water usage to specific activities. system.
Alert us to leaks We have found at least 2 leaks, saved money!
Attachment A - page 3
11. Other Comments
On question #6 1 do not use my water monitor and compare it to my water budget, but I do
compare my water budget to my use on my bill. This quesiton was a bit confusing. It would be
helpful to have an interactive chart that one can use to log data from the water monitor. These
should be free to water users with some kind of instructions on how to reduce water use and to
monitor it.
Whoever had the idea to install these is a genius! Everyone who needs to manage their water
should have one. We also like the leak detection feature.
I was disappointed that I can't sell it or return it - total waste of money.
It's confusing how to reset. Sometimes it doesn't receive signal unless I go out front.
It would be nice if the meter hd a slightly longer range. I need to stand outside to get a reliable
signal. Otherwise, this is very useful An inerface to our PC (e.g. via USB) would also be useful.
Thanks!
The monitor failed to "read" in 2-3 months, but was promptly replaced.
I see this monitor as a precurser to what we will have in 10-15 years. Think TRS-80 computer in
1982 vs Windows in 1997. Ideally water tracking should be a web application and should not
require a separate device. I applaud the city for taking the first step and offering the water
monitor. Thank you.
We are not threatened by drought, yet the City continues to control as if we are. I honestly
bought the monitor to reduce your ability to drain me dry. Everybody deserves the right to guage
their usage and it should NOT cost $200. Especially for such a meager tool. I bought a small
dishwasher on sale for less. It's clear the City has an agenda here
Water Department - one of the best departments in the city! They respond to customer
complaints and answer questions.
Great tool, but $200 that I paid is away too much!!!! It would be nice if units were subsidized -
$75 each.
We can't imagine how anyone can manage a budget without knowing how much they are
"spending".The water monitor is indespensable to us. We can see whn we are approaching our
budget max and can therefore adjust our usage accordingly; preventing over-budget charges.
I think many people could benefit from these meters, but the price needs to be much lower!
First one didn't work, was replaced, now works fine.
Thanks for wasting my tax dollars sending out ridiculous surveys. Without them you would
probably have to reduce staff and people might have to get jobs in the private sector.
These should be provided for free since there is no other way for a customr to monitor/verify the
electronic meter.
It would be nice to have continueous monitoring with :flowrate, total usage, daily use.
We are an HOA that has two monitors. One doesn't always read. We replaced monitor and still
unreliable.
Attachment A - page 4
ATTACHMENT B
Single Family 2007-2009 ■Total Variance Before Water Monitor
Over Budget Before Water Monitor ❑Total Variance After Water Monitor
20.00%
15 GO% 15.43%
10.11%
M00%
rn
4.12%
5.00%
2.13%
m
0,00 %
R
E -5M%
0
-10.00%
d
v
C
R -15.00
.R
> -20.00%
-25.00% -21.64%
-26.68%
-30.00% -
76564 62010 95455
Accounts
Total number of Surveyed Accounts: 46
Total number of Accounts Omitted Due to Lack of Data Before / After Purchasing a Water Monitor: 16
Total number of Accounts Omitted Due to Multiple Owners: 5
Total number of Accounts Over Budget Before Purchasing a Water Monitor: 3
Total number of Accounts Under Budget Before Purchasing a Water Monitor: 22
Single Family 2007-2009 ■Total Variance Before Water Monitor
Under Budget Before Water Monitor
Total Variance After Water Monitor
10.00%
U0%
m -10.00%
rn
m -20.00%
m -30.00%
m
E -40.00%
0
-50.00%
m
U
-60.00%
j 70.00%
_80.00%
-90.00%
.ao h ~ M N ^ M ~ ~ W N N cy M O to N ~'9
N ro ~o- co T N ro h co ty ry nN my n
Nph
~O <o W <0 0 ~O ~i h 0 ~D <O W W H
Accounts
Attachment B - page 1
Metered Irrigation 2007-2009 ■Total Variance Before Water Monitor
Over Budget Before Water Monitor Total Variance After Water Monitor
100,00%
89.09%
80.00 i
66.90%
6
60.00%
3
m
v
40.00%
3
20.00i 15.68%
4.34%
C
m
- 0,00%
-20.00% -5.64%
-25.72%
-40.00%
13571224 67693 88303
Accounts
Total number of Surveyed Accounts: 18
Total number of Accounts Omitted Due to Lack of Data Before / After Purchasing a Water Monitor: 3
Total number of Accounts Over Budget Before Purchasing a Water Monitor: 3
Total number of Accounts Under Budget Before Purchasing a Water Monitor: 12
Metered Irrigation 2007-2009 ■Total Variance Before Water Monitor
Under Budget Before Water Monitor
Total Variance After Water Monitor
10.00%
10.00%
m -30.00%
m
m
-50.00%
E
0
v -70.00%
C
N
9 -90.00%
110.00%
59028 80162 80214 69184 87652 77601 80220 60397 60710 87109 87667 60505
Accounts
Attachment B - page 2
Multifamily 2007-2009 ■Total Variance Before Water Monitor
Over Budget Before Water Monitor Total Variance After Water Monitor
soOO%
W00% 75.94%
Z 70.00%
m
v
m' 60.00%
50.00%
41.35%
40M%
E 32.16%
w 30.00%% 26.24%
20.13%
20.00% 14.52%
> 10.00%
o.oo%
-M00%
67668 67696 8002705
Accounts
Total number of Surveyed Accounts: 6
Total number of Accounts Omitted Due to Lack of Data Before / After Purchasing a Water Monitor: 0
Total number of Accounts Over Budget Before Purchasing a Water Monitor: 3
Total number of Accounts Under Budget Before Purchasing a Water Monitor: 3
Multifamily 2007-2009 ■Total Variance Before Water Monitor
Under Budget Before Water Monitor Total Variance After Water Monitor
10.00%
0.00%
-10.00%
m
V
co -20.00% -15.56%
-2021%
-30.00%
0 -40.00%
w
m
-50.00%
-48.87%
> -60.o0% -57.99% -58.64%
-70.00%
-73.61%
-80.00%
64862 67681 13571144
Accounts
Attachment B - page 3
Commercial AMU 2007-2009 ■Total Variance Before Water Monitor
Over Budget Before Water Monitor Total Variance After Water Monitor
400.00%
330%
300.00%
Y
4) 234%
rn
v
CD 2OM% 166%
m
92 /o
100.00%
54%
w 14% 38% 39% 24%
a~ 13% 11% 3% 8% 5%
.R
-7% -9% 11% -19%
> -60%
-1oo.ao°% ° -79%
-200.00%
62526 86261 61899 77948 82301 65704 6902046 86126 63414 54636
Accounts
Total number of Surveyed Accounts: 17
Total number of Accounts Omitted Due to Lack of Data Before / After Purchasing a Water Monitor: 2
Total number of Accounts Over Budget Before Purchasing a Water Monitor: 10
Total number of Accounts Under Budget Before Purchasing a Water Monitor: 5
Commercial AMU 2007-2009 ■Total Variance Before Water Monitor
Under Budget Before Water Monitor Total Variance After Water Monitor
40.00%
21%
20.00%
Y
d
rn
3 0.00%
-3%
m
eC -20.00%
-18% -22% °
E 24 /o
-40.00% -33%
-39%
v o
d 40
A -60.00% 50 /o
-59%
A
-80.00%
-78%
-100.00%
80351 61901 63406 60410 86995
Accounts
Attachment B - page 4
Other Account Types 2007-2009 ■Total Variance Before Water Monitor
❑Total Variance After Water Monitor
15.00%
9.65%
10.00%
5M% LE 4.35%
d
m
0.00%
m
d -5.00
m
-10.00°0 -7.88%
E
° -10.91%
-15.00%
d
-20M% -17.30%
•L
m
-2s.oo%
-30.00% -27.46%
-35.00%
Commercial HMU Industrial Indoor! Outdoor Bill DeOreo
Municipal 2007-2009 ■Total Variance Before Water Monitor
All Accounts Total Variance After Water Monitor
250.00%
218.57%
200.00%
Y
m 150.00%
a
to
L
100.00%
~C
E
0
w 50.00%
12.79% 7.67% 15.75%
0.00%
-13.26%-7.20%
-50.00% -41.99/° ° -28.14%
-100.00%
95265 95262 95313 95267
Accounts
Attachment B - page 6