What is sub-metering?
In the past, multi-family communities had one master city water meter, and that meter would service many residents. The water and sewer costs were simply included in the monthly homeowners dues and divided equally among the residents. This worked well when water/sewer rates were a fraction of what they are today and possible future water shortages was not a concerning issue. Sub-metering is a term used for installing individual meters behind the city master meter. Sub-meters are the same type of meters the city uses to measure water usage.
What are the benefits of sub-metering?
Sub-metering is a solution to manage water and sewer costs for homeowners’ associations by offering equitable distribution of cost and peace of mind to residents. You are paying only for the water you use and not your neighbor’s laundry, car wash, toilet/faucet leaks, or excessive water use. Sub-metering eliminates the residential water costs from the monthly homeowners dues. This keeps homeowners dues low and improves property values. Residents pay their water/sewer bill just as they pay other utilities such as gas, electric, etc. Sub-metering promotes water conservation. When residents are accountable for their water usage, they will conserve. Sub-metering detects costly leaks. There is a red triangle on the face of the meter that moves when water is running through the meter. A leaky toilet can waste 50,000 gallons of water in 30 days!
How are we billed?
California Sub-Meters will read the water meters, bill, and collect the money. A service fee is added to your water/sewer bill. All monies collected along with accounting reports are sent to your homeowners association who in turn pay the city water bill. The homeowner is responsible for payment. Tenants cannot be billed.
What rates and services are we billed for?
You will be billed at the same water/sewer rates and for the same services as the water department in your district is charging your community.
