Condo Association Management Blog

Is use strictly for potable water or do you have lawn, shrubs,etc?

you have to check to see if there are any other services included in the bill, such as sewer charges or trash pick up ( for example ) weather yes or no, an average of $49 per month per unit is not too bad. also, is the irrigation or filling the pool tied in to your master meter ? if so, explore the possibility of an irrigation meter, or reclaimed water or even a well. my persnnal single family residence runs about $95 mo. but includes a sewer charge as well as trash pick up.( in florida )

To my knowledge the sewer charge is based on water usage. That is where you have to start is with the water usage.

You might want to start by obtaining judgments against the units that are not paying. Once you have the judgment (this takes some time) you might be able to cut off water to the unit (this is allowed at the condo community where I live, but you'd need to make sure it's allowed for your community). You'd be surprised how fast people come up with money to pay past due fees when they have no water.

Cut fees when renewing contracts. Negotiate with everyone. these are tough times. Be tough.

Want to save real bucks on water? Try conservation. Leaky toilets waste hundreds of gallons daily...leaky faucets the same. It's easy to check toilet leaks and the condo could provide universal flappers, installed to stop leaks. You could install aerators on faucets to cut down flow and underwrite low flow shower heads. Education is a key component of conservation be it water or electricity or gas. Help people learn to turn off water when brushing teeth. Dishes should be wiped before putting in the dishwasher, not rinsed under running water.Dishwashers should be run only when full. Disposals used almost never. Showers can be shorter. Residents need to understand their water use affects condo fees.

"You might want to start by obtaining judgments against the units that are not paying. Once you have the judgment (this takes some time) you might be able to cut off water to the unit (this is allowed at the condo community where I live" 
 
Do you know if it is allowed in Massachusetts?

I agree with J. Siegel, as your post inquires about reducing the water bill and not about collecting arrearage. An opportunity presents to check what "community" means to your owners and occupants, as measured in dollars that everyone must pay in sharing the water bills. How about establishing a task force to recommend education and conversation measures to the Board for implementation. Set goals and objectives. Condominiums are set up like small municipalities - it's a concept that has been cited by Connecticut courts. Created by the Board with a mission to reduce water usage, a Task Force can set goals and objectives that can involve the entire community. Neighbors helping neighbors . . .

There are companies that will install individual water meters in condo complexes and will do monthly billing of individual owners. With the money collected they pay the master bill.  
 
You will be surprised how much people's attitude changes when they pay their own bill.

Jeff Ross wroe about individual water meters. I'd like to ask him if knows how much it costs to buy and install them. We looked into it once and found that we'd have to get a private company to put them in and the HOA would have to read them and bill the owners individually because the water company wouldn't do it. We're in southern California so it might be different that in Jeff's state. It would be a good idea if the water company would cooperate.

If your like many condos struggling with obtaining finance for its reseidents, you likely have a large reserve contribution of 10% of total expenses. That can be drastcially reduced providing liquidity for other necessities or transition to lower common charges and budget. As us how

<The first step is to replace your board which has tolerated this large number of unit owners to fall in arrears on their monthly condo feen. In what state are you located?? Your state condo law and your bylaws officer procedures that shiould be followed in regard to delinqiencies. The Board should be removed for failing to perform their fiduciary duties. Along with the board a new management company should be enghaged to help manage the facility and advise the Board. It does no good at all to reduce your water bill when you jave such large failure rate on monthly fees. You'll not have the required money to pay even the reduced costs.

Specifically for the water- our condo in va has a contract with a company who's responsibility is water conservation- we split the savings with them, - they have installed some low flow toilets and continue to fix all leaks. I'd like to see the installation of low flow shower heads too. Individual meters are too expensive for us.

We had this same problem and forced the owners/renters to allow us access to the unit to check for water leaks. They were given 2 months to correct the problem if found or be fined. Water usage was cut in half. 
 
 
 
I am very interested in the individual meters Jeff Ross mentioned. This would be an answer to part of our financial woes. I also would be interested in solutions to an outdated hotwater boiler system that might become individually metered or replaced by individual heaters?