Installation of Water Meters

Washington state law requires all water usage to be metered by 2017, upsetting some Whatcom Falls Neighborhood residents and pleasing others.

            In compliance with the Municipal Water Law and Water Use Efficiency Program passed in 2003, the City of Bellingham is currently in the process of converting to a metered system. According to the City of Bellingham’s website, this means placing water meters in 15,000 single-family residential homes in a projected time frame of five years. The project will cost the city an estimated $11 million.

            “They are designed to allow customers to track their water usage. Use less water, pay less.  When customers are aware of their water use, they tend to conserve more,” said Heather Higgins, Communications Coordinator of the

City of Bellingham Public Works Department.

In order to make the installation process the most efficient and cost effective, a schedule was developed for neighborhoods based on meter reading routes, billing cycles, and installation procedures. Residents in Whatcom Falls Neighborhood can expect the installation process to begin at the end of this year and continue through 2014.

There are two steps to the installation process according to City of Bellingham’s Water Conservation Coordinator Anitra Accetturo. First, crews will install water meter assembly boxes to approximately 534 residences. Then the actual water meters will be inserted, she said.

The installation process only takes 15 minutes if the resident already has a water meter assembly box, but can take up to 4 hours if the resident does not have the box. There is no charge to the homeowner for installation, but plants, trees, shrubs, fences or other structures next to where the box will be placed must be removed or relocated. Information on how to tell if there is already a water meter assembly box in place can be found on the City of Bellingham’s website.

Although some residences already have the water meter assembly boxes in place, few presently have water meters. “Some have meters if the house was built after 2005, or if the owners signed up for the volunteer meter program,” said Accetturo.

Currently, all 729 single-family residences in Whatcom Falls Neighborhood pay a flat rate utility bill, Accetturo said. The utility bill is comprised of four components: water, sewer, storm water, and a watershed fee. As stated by the City of Bellingham’s 2013 utility billing rates, residents pay a flat rate of $32.66 per month for the water portion.  Beginning Jan. 1, 2015, Whatcom Falls Neighborhood residents will no longer have fixed water prices. Instead, metered rates will be in effect, although flat rates for the sewer portion of the bill will continue.

Metered water for a single-family residence inside the city using a five-eighths inch meter costs a base rate of $13.10 per month, plus $1.58 per 100 cubic feet (748 gallons).

            Some of Whatcom Falls Neighborhood residents are disgruntled by the impacts of the project. “We have fixed water prices right now and we have drips in our pipes and toilets. Now we’ll have to pay for it,” said Zac Gervais, 24, employee of Lafeen’s Donuts and resident in Whatcom Falls Neighborhood.

            Higgins has also heard some complaints from landlords who pay the utility bills. “[They] are concerned that tenants who do not see the bill will use more water.  Landlords may include the utilities in the rent.  They will not know how much to bill the tenant until the consumption is billed, typically after monthly rent has been paid.”

            Other residents believe the water meters are a good idea, including Celia Kadushin, 55. “I think it’s a good thing because I came from a town that had them. Our water bill was always low because we know how to conserve water,” she said.

            “It is very rare not to have metered water. Bellingham and Everett are the only cities of our size in Washington that don’t have metered water. The meters will help save water,” said Accetturo.

In placing water meters throughout the city, people will mostly likely be more conscious of their water usage. Although Bellingham water usage averages slightly lower than the national average, greater conservation of water is important due to the fact that only 1 percent of water on the planet is available for humans, as specified by Water Consumption Data by the City of Bellingham.

Despite the fact that population has increased in Bellingham from 1990-2005, water usage has actually decreased since the 1990s.

For those who are concerned with a high water bill, factors that will affect the bill amount include the number of people in a home, individual water-use patterns, efficiency of appliances, and the quantity of water used on the exterior of the house. According to the American Water Works Association, the indoor appliances that use the most amount of water are toilets, clothes washers, faucets, and showers.

The Water Conservation webpage on the City of Bellingham’s website includes more tips for saving water and lowering bills.