How to Reduce Your Commercial Water Bill: A Facility Manager's Guide

Understanding Your Commercial Water Bill

Charges do not all respond the same way. Fixed service or meter fees may remain unchanged when usage changes. Usage-based water and sewer charges depend on metered volume and the utility's rate structure. Property-based stormwater charges may instead depend on parcel area, impervious surface, or another local formula.

Sewer savings depend on the actual local tariff and billing method; there is no universal multiplier or automatic compound-savings rule. The EPA WaterSense bill guide explains common bill elements. For real utility examples, review DC Water's rates and fees and Portland's utility rates and charges. These references support billing education; they do not endorse Smart Valve™. For more context, see how local sewer billing affects potential savings.

The 3 Most Common Sources of Unnecessary Water Spend

• →Metered readings and site conditions. Smart Valve™ may be evaluated as a site-specific option intended to reduce the effect of air on metered readings. A bill alone cannot identify air content or prove a valve's savings. Review the product explanation and certifications when assessing fit.
• →Fixtures, equipment, and schedules. Review fixtures, water-using equipment, irrigation, and operating schedules for practical opportunities. EPA WaterSense commercial guidance provides a useful starting point for a facility review.
• →Unexpected meter use. Investigate unexpected use with facilities staff and account for legitimate overnight processes, cleaning, irrigation, cooling, or production. A meter change by itself does not prove a leak, and essential service should not be interrupted for a test.

Learn more in the Smart Valve™ product explainer, review current certification scope and documents, and use the EPA WaterSense commercial guidance for broader facility practices.

Bill-Review Checklist

1. Gather 12 months of complete water and sewer bills for each relevant meter.
2. Identify the meter and account, billing units, actual versus estimated readings, and billing days.
3. Separate fixed fees, usage-based charges, and property-based charges.
4. Note tariff, rate, or billing-method changes during the review period.
5. Compare similar seasons and account for occupancy, production, wash counts, or another relevant activity measure.
6. Record known leaks, irrigation schedules, repairs, shutdowns, and operational changes.
7. Compare proposed eligible gross savings with project or program costs and the written measurement and guarantee terms.

One bill cannot establish a reliable before-and-after result. A lower recorded volume or lower bill also does not, by itself, establish the same reduction in physical water use.

What a Water Audit Actually Covers

PWV's initial bill review organizes billing history and screens a potential project. A full facility water audit is broader and may review:

• →12 months of utility bills — identifying anomalies and seasonal patterns
• →Meter size and compatibility — determining which Smart Valve™ unit fits
• →Building water pressure — confirming supply line conditions
• →Fixture inventory — identifying high-consumption or outdated equipment
• →Cooling tower and HVAC water use — often the single largest consumer
• →Irrigation systems — frequently over-scheduled and unmeasured

Smart Valve™ may be evaluated for qualifying properties after the bill set and site conditions are reviewed. Any measurement method, eligible charges, costs, and guarantee terms must come from the project or program documents.

Illustrative gross eligible savings at 22%

This arithmetic uses eligible usage-based monthly charges as the input and excludes fixed fees. It illustrates a 22% scenario before fees; it is not a site forecast or guarantee.

To compare the different measurements and source periods used in published projects, visit Results. To request an initial review, upload up to 12 bill documents.