WATER SAVINGS, you’re not just paying for water :(
Did you know air can pass through your water meter — and you pay for it? I didn’t either until recently. In a controlled trial of AquaFlow across 14 buildings, we found that high pressure air in the plumbing can register on meters and inflate bills by roughly 15–30%. That’s not a leak, and it’s not tenant usage — it’s phantom consumption recorded as billable water.
What’s actually happening
Air entrained in high velocity flow or pressure surges travels through the meter and spins the register, producing false flow readings.
Mechanical meters (and many older electronic meters) count pulses caused by movement regardless of whether the medium is water or air.
Common sources of air: pump start/stop cycles, poorly vented or drained lines, irrigation or booster pumps, draining/bleeding procedures, and empty risers or roof tanks.
If you blew into the water meter, you’re being charged, so more air means more $$ to the city
Why is it a major issue for multifamily owners.
Recurring, avoidable cost: Unlike a broken pipe that gets repaired once, meter registered air can add persistent charges every billing cycle.
Hard to diagnose using tenant reports: Usage patterns look normal (or slightly elevated) rather than showing obvious leaks.
Portfolio impact: A 15% overcharge on a single meter is small; across dozens or hundreds of units, it becomes a six figure problem.
Evidence from our pilot
Scope: 14 buildings with mixed unit types, meters monitored before and after AquaFlow installation.
Initial two week results: consistent, measurable reductions in registered flow immediately after installation.
Conservatively projected savings: 15–30% in cases where air was a clear contributor; we expect months 2–3 to show larger reductions as meters and systems fully stabilize and billing cycles normalize.
How AquaFlow solves it.
Flow conditioning: AquaFlow units manage transient pressures and remove or dampen high velocity air surges so meters record liquid flow only.
Pump and system compatibility: Works with systems that have booster pumps, irrigation, and frequent cycling by buffering surges and minimizing entrained air.
Non invasive installation: Devices are installed in the meter/line path with minimal downtime and no disruption to tenants.
Typical ROI and installation economics
Installation cost: one time, generally modest relative to recurring savings (exact cost depends on meter type and access).
Payback period: In many pilot cases, the simple payback is under 12 months; for portfolios with significant air issues, it can be a few months.
Long term benefit: saves on future bills indefinitely and reduces meter wear caused by excessive cycling.
How to tell if your property has an air problem
Meter activity when fixtures are off (especially overnight).
Suddenly, short spikes are tied to pump cycles or maintenance.
Meter pulses that don’t correlate with tenant behavior or verified leaks.
Read stability improves after system downtime or when pumps are disabled.
Recommended evaluation steps
Baseline monitoring: log meter reads over 2–4 billing cycles and note correlation with pump activity.
Targeted observation: watch meters during pump starts/stops and after maintenance events.
Trial installation: run AquaFlow for a 90 day trial to measure billing impact (we’re offering a free 90 day trial; tenant owner pays modest install).
Compare billing: use pre trial and post trial data to calculate true savings and payback.
Real-world use case (example)
Property: 14 buildings, mixed unit types.
Intervention: AquaFlow installed on main metered lines.
Outcome (two week pilot): immediate, repeatable reduction in meter registrations; projected 15–30% monthly billing reduction once full billing cycles reflect the change.
Next steps If you want to stop paying for air and see a real reduction in water expense, email us to request a free 90 day trial and an installation estimate. We’ll run a baseline audit, install AquaFlow, and provide clear before/after billing comparisons so you can make an informed decision.
