Gov. Jerry Brown has signed a bill that will streamline the approval process for water submeters, which measure water use in individual apartments.
Gov. Jerry Brown has signed a bill that will streamline the approval process for water submeters, which measure water use in individual apartments.
The California Apartment Association and the Utility Management and Conservation Association co-sponsored the legislation, AB 2451, by Assemblyman Tom Daly, D-Anaheim.
“As California continues to face a worsening drought, AB 2451 plays an important role by streamlining the state’s water submetering approval process in order to ensure that more submeters are approved for use in our apartment communities. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that when submeters are installed, water use onthe part of residents is reduced, on average, by 28 percent,” CAA writes in this letter requesting Brown’s signature.
About submeters
When landlords in rental units use submeters, their tenants can receive separate utility readings and bills for water use. Without submeters, property owners typically rely on a master water meter and pay the entire water bill. They might then pass along water costs to tenants using ratio-utility billing systems — also known as RUBS. Property owners use RUBS to divide the water bill among tenants based on the number of renters in the building or square footage. Because submeters give tenants more control over their water bill, they encourage water conservation, which is especially important during California’s drought.
More information: See the bill analysis
The bill, signed by the governor Thursday, Sept. 25, aims to help rental property owners overcome challenges in obtaining submeters. For example, many national submeter manufacturers have reduced or stopped shipping submeters to California, fearing civil and criminal liability because of the state’s complicated rules and approval process.
By amending provisions of state law, AB 2451 creates a more efficient process, while preserving the state’s important testing and regulatory program.
“AB 2451 will assure submeter manufacturers that their products are welcome in California and that the current cost and uncertainty surrounding their shipment to the state is removed,” CAA’s letter says.
