Sewer Meter

[washregal]

I am presently paying a percentage of my water bill to the local Sewer Authority. This amount is about 8X the cost of my water for Sewer.. Yes that is right 8X.

Thinking the cost of evaporation and carry over etc - I have heard can be as much as 30% loss - This is Sewer billing I am paying for.

Has anyone installed a sewer Meter with their costs being so high.. and If so, what was the actual savings / payback after installing the meter?

 

[Waxman]

Instead of sweating the payback, which begins the second it's installed, I'd check with sewer dept and see what they require; type of meter, how/when it is read, do you need a unit that can be read remotely? Is sewer dept going to come by quarterly to read it?

Get these agreements in place and install it, IMO. Blow out and carry off is big and will save big, especially when the savings are looked at over a few years.

 

[robert roman]

When sewer rate is greater than water (i.e. 8 times) this usually signals authority is planning or paying for expansion/construction of new treatment facility and/or cost of treatment is greater than cost of producing potable water.

What to do about it?

If it was my money, I’d bet on the multiplier effect. Each $1.00 savings in water cost reduces sewer by $8.00.

60,000 washes * 60 gallons/wash = 3.6 million gallons/1,000 = 3,600 units

If cost water is $1.00/unit and sewer is $8.00, cost is (3,600 * $1.00) + (3,600 * $8.00) or $32,400 ($3,600 + $28,800).

$5,760 is potential benefit if evaporative and carry-out is 20 percent ($28,800 * 0.20).

$5,767 would be actual benefit if water consumption is reduced from 60 to 49.32 gallons.

60,000 washes * 49.32 = 2.959 million gallons/1,000 = 2,959 units

Total cost is (2,959 * $1.00) + (2,959 * $8.00) or $26,633 ($2,969 + $23,674).

How can you save 10 gallons of water per car or a 17.8 percent reduction?

Leaks can account for as much as 10 percent.

Re-calibrating nozzle size, pressure, timing and alignment can save up to 40 percent.

RO reject water can reduce fresh on one to one basis.

Since high sewer rate is now pegged via regulation, you would get additional benefits at a rate of 8:1 with any future increases in fresh water rate.

At 8:1, reclaim should also be viable.