That’s right! With a second water meter, you pay only half the rate (give or take) on all water used outdoors. So every time you fill your pool, water your lawn or even wash your car, you’ll pay half the usual water rate! And if you schedule your visit before May 16, get an extra outside hose bibb or $250 off, your choice! It’s just another way of saying thank you for your continued business.
How Does it Work?
Pretty simple, really. Each city & town is slightly different, but the general idea is to install a second meter on the water main where it enters your home, typically near your existing water meter. Once installed, all water lines that go outside (and not to any drains) are disconnected from the main system and connected to the new dedicated water meter. This meter is then equipped with its own reader by your water department. Thereafter, all water usage through the new second meter is deducted against the main meter usage (or tracked separately if installed in parallel). This outside water is billed only for water, rather than water AND sewer charges as is your regular metered use. The actual rate is set by your particular water department, but it is typically a 50/50 split (or close to it) between water charges and sewer charges.
Why Use John The Plumber?
Second water meters are second nature to us (no pun intended). We’ve been installing them since the concept first landed on the industry over 25 years ago. In fact, we installed so many throughout the area that we were contacted by two different municipalities to help them set up the administration process for their respective water departments as they initiated the program in their own towns.
Installing second meters is a bit more complicated than the typical plumbing job.
The Process
While second meters are easy for us, many plumbers wince at the prospect. That’s because each city and town has their own process for getting it done, and they are highly inconsistent from one another. We’ve done so many over the years that we’ve seen it all, and we have the systems in place to make the job progress smoothly and efficiently. Here’s what’s typically involved:
- Detailed plans for the installation must be submitted to the local water department by the Plumber for the installation
- Backflow protection for the installation must adhere to the local requirements (these vary widely)
- Once approved by the water department, the Plumber must file a plumbing permit
- With both approvals in hand, the installation may begin
- Once completed, the water department must approve the installation
- Once the water department has approved the installation, the Plumbing Inspector must approve the installation
- The meter must be sealed by the water department
And depending on the city or town, the order of these steps may be juggled around. There may even be additional steps, depending on local requirements. So you can see why many plumbers may turn their noses up at the prospect of this type of installation (nobody likes paperwork).
In our case, we’ve done it so many times that the process is almost fully automated, so there is zero frustration for us.
How Can I Find Out More?
Submit the form below and Steve or I will get in touch with you to give you the rundown. If it makes sense to set up a visit to work up some numbers, we can schedule it during the consult call.
Click this link for more information: Water at Half Price