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Show measure water use, and eight did not provide metering or measurement information. Water Conservation Metering alone has very little impact on water conservation, unless water system operators use rate structures based on the amount of water used. Studies by the Denver Water Department from 1980 to 1982 ( Maddaus, 1987), showed about 20 percent less water use in metered households billed on water usage compared to unmetered households with fixed rate billings. Most of the water saved was from reduced outdoor use. Water use was about 25 percent less in summer months and about 2 percent less in winter months. Because reductions in outside water use represent most of the saved water, climate will likely influence water saved from metering. Potential water savings due to metering will likely be higher in arid climates and lower in humid climates. The climate of the study area ( Denver, Colorado) is semi- arid, like the climate in Utah. So it is likely that a 20 percent water savings may also be expected in Utah. Water conservation resulting from metering is dependent upon rate structures that are implemented with a metering program. In order to reduce water use by metering, the water rate structure should be based on the following factors: 1) Water rates should reflect the real cost of delivering the water, 2) the cost to the customer should rise with increasing water use, and 3) water rates must be set high enough so that consumers find it worthwhile to monitor their own water use. A study of water use in Colorado indicates that doubling the price of water reduces average water demand by about 25 percent ( Grisham and Fleming, 1989). This study also indicated that almost all of the water savings resulting from the price increase were from reductions in outdoor water use. Costs The cost of installing meters is approximately $ 500 per connection. The city of Denver recently completed a project over six years of installing 87,381 meters at existing water connections, average installation cost per meter was $ 426. The town of Cornish, Cache County, has required meters at individual connections ( currently there are 79 connections). But meters were not read during the high precipitation period in the early to mid- 1980s. A program of reading meters for individual water service connections, and billing customers based on water usage and corresponding rate structures, was reinstituted in 1990. This action was taken because of potential water shortages and to provide a fair billing program. The town of Cornish experienced a 20 percent net reduction in water use because customers fixed water leaks in their own service lines and became less wasteful with outdoor watering. Monthly meter reading required about eight hours of additional labor per month, and the additional record keeping and billing requirements associated with the program required an additional six hours of labor per month. Although costs increased significantly for customers with high water demands, such as dairy farms owners who voiced strong opposition to the program, the program was generally accepted and believed to provide a more fair program for the water users collectively. There were slight increases in revenue, but the increases mainly helped to pay for additional testing requirements rather than the additional costs associated with the metering and billing program. Impacts of Additional Metering on Water Conservation Because 99 percent of the water connections in Utah are already metered, the amount of water conserved by installing meters will be minimal. 28 |