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Water consultants H2O Building Services ask why you should install an AMR water flow data logger to a new property?
Why indeed?
In fact you could be forgiven for thinking as the water supply pipes were a new installation then there would be no water leaks to be concerned about.
Well you would be wrong as we are seeing an increasing number of new build / refurbished sites and customer site relocation’s where customers are receiving very substantial water and waste water bills sometime after occupation.
With water retail companies now taking actual water meter readings on average once per year then any water leaks either below ground or above ground on internal water fittings or indeed both go unnoticed and the consumer will not realise the impact of such waste until the very first water and waste water bills.
Water consultants at H2O Building Services have experienced four such quite staggering cases where customers have received very large water bills which could have been avoided had they applied some basic water management technologies, bills totaling over £500,000 with the latest bill for a client standing at £225,000.
The latest case is a customer that took occupation having relocated a year ago, no water meter reading was taken prior to setting up a water account and the customer had no knowledge of the water meter location. 9 months later a water bill arrived for £90,000 having 16 staff and no water used in production, then another bill totaling £140,000!
The reason for the high water bill? – A huge water leak.
We have completed water leak detection and water leak repair with the water bill now standing at £225,000.
The advise from water consultants at H2O Building Services is – Contact your local water company or Google water consultants. Ensure you locate your water meter and take a meter reading, set up a water retail account and install an AMR water flow data logger.
A water consultant will either advise you how to go about completing this or will carry out this work on your behalf either way the costs would be around £850 for the supply and installation or an AMR water flow data logger and setting up of the water retail account. These actions alone will ensure that large water bills will not arrive unexpectedly on your doorstep.
What is an AMR water flow data logger?
It is a device which is fitted to the water meter(s) that serve your property. The device receives a pulse from the water meter and sends the water flow data via the mobile phone network to a water flow monitoring platform and displays the water flow in both digital and visual graphic format.
The device will also give water meter readings and can be programmed to alert if the water flow exceeds set parameters for example a water leak.
This enables the consumer to take immediate action to detect and resolve the water leak to minimise the impact on the water bill.
In the case of a new build site it is wise to install an AMR water flow data logger at the time of construction and when the new water connection is made and the water meter is installed by the wholesale water company.
When new pipes are installed either fittings are not connected correctly or tightened fully or supply pipes are damaged during construction.
A customer has recently taken up a new build occupation and been landed with a £47,000 water bill. Having completed water leak detection the water leakage rate is 57 cubic meters per day. The water leak report has been issued to the client and the leak looks to have been occurring from occupation to date, please see report here Example leak detection report 12.11.18
Clearly demonstrating that installing a AMR water flow data logger would have prevented a water leak from impacting on future water bills.
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