From Leaks to Savings: The Water Conservation Win at a 40-Year-Old Retail Strip

Customer Profile

• Property: 40-Year-Old Retail Strip
• Type: Two buildings with 25 tenants (dry cleaners, dollar stores)
• Location: Undisclosed
• Meter Count: 25 tenant meters
• Interviewee: Bob, Water Conservation Consultant

Challenge

A 40-year-old retail strip with outdated plumbing struggled with water inefficiencies and malfunctioning meters. Traditional in-line metering was impossible without damaging aging pipes, creating liability and massive installation costs.

The property owner relied solely on historical water bills, which offered little visibility into real-time usage or anomalies. Malfunctioning meters couldn’t detect leaks or account for tenants with varying consumption needs, leading to disputes and higher costs.

Impact

• Aging pipes made invasive meter installation risky and expensive
• No real-time monitoring or ability to identify usage spikes
• Daily water consumption jumped from 200 to 1,400 gallons due to unnoticed leaks
• Tenants disputed bills due to lack of transparent allocation

Solution

The property deployed SimpleSUB Water’s over-the-pipe technology, ensuring:

• Over-the-Pipe Compatibility: No risk of pipe damage, safe for aging infrastructure
• Real-Time LTE Monitoring: Zero latency data and instant anomaly alerts
• Anomaly Detection Tools: Identified leaks quickly, such as running toilets or sudden spikes
• Feature-Light, Benefit-Heavy Design: Easy to use, powerful results without complexity

Features

Over-the-Pipe Compatibility
→ No pipe damage risk
→ Safe for 40-year-old plumbing infrastructure

Real-Time LTE Monitoring
→ Instant usage visibility
→ Immediate anomaly detection

Anomaly Detection Tools
→ Automatic alerts for unusual spikes
→ Quick identification of leaks and bursts

Cost-Effective Installation
→ Avoided costly plumbing work
→ Significant labor savings, no disruptions

Results

• Detected multiple leaks, preventing major water losses
• Identified a 1,400-gallon daily spike from a toilet leak
• Achieved significant installation savings compared to in-line systems
• Reduced monthly bills through better conservation
• Transparent billing eliminated tenant disputes

Success

“There is huge cost savings in not only labor during installation, but also in metering water usage and identifying leaks. SimpleSUB’s feature-light and benefit-heavy design makes it a breeze to use while delivering powerful results.”
— Bob, Water Conservation Consultant

Excellence

“For aging properties, SimpleSUB is the only practical monitoring solution. The over-the-pipe design eliminates installation risks while delivering powerful conservation and billing tools.” — Bob, Water Conservation Consultant

Modernize Your Water Management

Managing an aging retail property with plumbing concerns? Schedule your free infrastructure assessment today and discover how SimpleSUB Water can deliver safe, effective monitoring solutions.