It’s Halloween time which means we celebrate the spiders, the webs, and all those creepy crawler things that make me cringe at the thought of going into the basement. But, as I’ve been becoming more and more aware of my own water usage and in particular the importance of remedying leaks, I’ve had to get over those fears. This is particularly true when it comes to doing something really, really easy, but with the prospect of spiders - checking my own meter. (And if you see the picture of my meter, you’ll see an actual skeleton of a critter down there!)
When knocking on doors, I sometimes hear people talk about an inexplicable increase in their water bill. The first thing I say is, “have you checked for leaks?” Usually I’m met with a blank stare which means folks don’t know how to do this. Here’s the thing, before you invest in a fancy and expensive gadget or pay someone to check for leaks, you can be your very own leak detective (and the Water District has information about that here.)
Go out your front door and find your water meter. Take a screw driver and lift up the cover. Read the meter. And then after a period of time, at least an hour where you have not used water, check it again. If it moved, you have a leak! If you do, then comes the part about detecting where the leak is which may involve money and help. But that first step is easy and free. I check between the time I go to bed and when I wake up, before using water. I also really enjoy checking the meter before and after showers between my husband and I to see who uses more water. But wouldn't it be nice if I didn't have to get the screw driver, go outside, and brave the creepy crawlers, all so I can check my water use?
As it relates to the role of a Boardmember at the Water District, it is estimated that overall, we lose 180 gallons of water per family per week to leaks. That’s not insignificant given that per capita, we use about 111 gallons per day. That is why it is important for the District to, at a policy level, set goals around the reduction of water loss from leaks. And for the great staff at the Water District to then come up with the programs that will help accomplish those goals.
Fortunately, the District has done just that. As a part of the 2040 Water Supply Master Plan, a program to provide real time information about water use is now being rolled out in the form of “smart meters” or advance metering infrastructure (AMI). Right now, the San Jose Water Company is implementing this program. You can read more about the program here.
This is exactly the kind of program I would love to see more of. By providing real time information and a feedback loop, we can make better decisions about personal water use and be able to better detect problems such as leaks, impacting usage and in turn decisions made by the Board on how to make sure that today and in the future, we always have safe, clean, affordable water.
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