Full Description

Water can be lost in many ways other than leakage: unaccounted for water can result from inaccurate master meters or customer meters, unauthorized hydrant use, unauthorized use through fire lines, and other causes. The Pennsylvania Gas and Water Company investigated all 9,000 of its commercial/industrial accounts to check for sources of unaccounted for water. Three problems contributed to the loss of water: absence of meters; unauthorized water use, indicated by unauthorized taps, tees, or hose bib connections prior to meter installation; and inoperable meters, including those that were broken or installed vertically. The utility found of its 9,169 commercial/industrial accounts, 1,940 needed corrective action. Many fire services were not being billed a monthly fee. An estimation of an astounding 36.1 percent loss of revenue was attributable to the unbilled water services. In addition, unmetered water services (those with a flat rate) ranked the second highest percentage of revenue lost. Billing water services at the wrong rate (that is, for a 6-inch service when an 8-inch service was in use) cost the company about $110 monthly. Theft, failed meters, and denial of access contributed an average of 1.5 percent loss of revenue per year.

Product Details

Published: 01/01/1993 ISBN(s): 0898676665 Number of Pages: 4File Size: 1 file , 150 KB