Service Metering Deadline Expires
“On January 22, 2017, the ten-year deadline for installing meters on all service connections expired. All Group A community water systems serving at least 15 residential service connections should now have finished installing service meters. All progress made should be documented in the annual Water Use Efficiency (WUE) report, which is due by July 1 each year.”
Water Meters and Water Efficiency
“Meters provide instantaneous hourly, daily, weekly, monthly, seasonal, and annual information on usage variations. These changes in usage tell the story of how efficiently water is used. This helps water managers understand where and how to invest in their water system, ensuring a safe and reliable supply of water for their customers. You cannot manage what you cannot measure.
In 2003, the Legislature mandated that most Group A water suppliers not lose more than 10% of the water that runs through their distribution system to leakage. Installation of source and service meters and collecting that information lets water systems know whether or not they’ve met those standards. They then report this information to the Department of Health each year.”
Water Use Efficiency Elsewhere in WA
In the Columbia River Basin, the state requires water systems to report the water level within the well itself via direct measurement. Such measurements are best obtained via installing a sounding tube, a sonic well sounder, and a data logger. Sonic well sounders use sound waves to measure the depth to water level by bouncing sound waves off the surface of the water. Sonic well sounders are simple to use and provide instant data. There is no risk of contaminating the well because nothing touches the water and there are no probes or wires to hang up.
Water Use Efficiency Annual Performance Report – 2022