On May 27th, 2015, WaterSignal installed a device to monitor the main domestic water meter on a 576 unit multifamily property in Miami, Florida. Starting at 3:00 pm on August 10th, WaterSignal detected that water usage had exceeded the 7,500 gallon hourly alert level; immediately alerting the building engineer and operations manager.
Analysis:
Through WaterSignal’s real time data and leak alerts, the property management was quickly made aware of the issue via email/SMS text alert. Upon inspection, management found that the cooling tower water line had experienced a catastrophic leak.
According to The American Society of Civil Engineers’ 2013 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure, there are an estimated 240,000 water main breaks per year in the United States. With millions of pipes buried underground, some dating back to the Civil War era, most are not examined until there is a water main break.
Solution:
WaterSignal provided property management with the ability to monitor water usage 24 hours a day, making it possible to detect the leak instantaneously. Over the span of 16 hours, the property lost approximately 102,000 gallons ($1,160). After making repairs (pictures below), the management company was able to present WaterSignal’s data to the water department and request a sewer credit.
Domestic Daily Usage
8/1/15 – 8/26/15 
Below are photos showing water line repair work from start to finish:
(click collage to enlarge)
WaterSignal is a green technology company focused on water conservation. WaterSignal measures water flow in real time to detect leaks and monitor domestic meters, irrigation systems, and cooling towers for commercial, multifamily, medical and educational properties. WaterSignal is located in Alpharetta, GA, and currently has operations in 17 states.
