I want a city ordinance that would mandate that new multi-family dwellings in Lynn (and I mean that to include apartments for a single person as well) would be constructed so that all water is conveyed to each apartment separately and that inside each apartment at the entry point there is an RFID water meter.
Why do I want this? Let me share my story.
I live in a 55-unit condominium. Over the course of 2014/2015 our annual water bill (water is a shared expense in a condominium) went up by $30,000. It doubled.
We had a meeting. The initial plan was for us to get low-flow toilets. We were to purchase the toilets; the condo association would cover the cost of installation. I said I was all in favor of low-flow toilets, but that they did not get to the root of the problem. The problem, as I saw it, was that we were not billed for the water we used because we had no meters. Therefore, we had no incentive to conserve.
A number of us lived by ourselves, but others had four to five people in a unit. More people; more water. Our system was not fair. Initially I was told that neither the city nor Lynn Water and Sewer would permit us to have individual meters. I checked. That is not true. Lynn Water and Sewer would continue to send out their single bill for total usage. It would be broken down at our level. We were fortunate that we had the right architecture to install meters.
I should also point out that when water bills rise and a condominium is not able to pay the full cost when it is due, interest is charged on a daily basis and that adds up. Money literally goes down the drain.
Long story short, we now have 56 meters (one for the laundry) and pay only for the water we use in a billing quarter. We have five floors plus a basement. The reading is done by taking the reader and antenna on a short walk down the third floor and that sweeps up all the data which we then upload and send to management.
There is no intrusion into apartments to do readings. Our water usage has reverted to its previous normal level. We pay only for the water we use. We have been able to lower our condo fee by approximately $50 per month. We are very diverse. When any of us make a trip to Nigeria, New York, Puerto Rico or in my case Arizona for a short or long stay, once the door closes behind us the water ceases to run and we are not charged. Before we continued to subsidize the water usage of our neighbors.
An additional benefit to us has been that the meters alarm for leaks, floods, bursts, and tampering. Once the meters were installed we were immediately able to identify some leaks and then it was up to the unit owners to get them fixed or face the consequences. Prior to that, we just had inexplicably high bills but no idea as to an explanation.
The meters plus installation came to about $450 for each unit but in time we have recouped that cost.
More apartment units are being constructed in our city. I believe it is important that we take practical steps to encourage us to conserve. Water is a shared resource. A City Ordinance would help us to do this. I have briefly talked with Mayor McGee about this and he asked me for information which I provided. Now I am trying to get some public discussion.
Mary Sweeney
Lynn