Take Water Billing from “a Headache” to “Totally Seamless”

Overview

At Greentree Commons Condominiums in Chesapeake, Virginia, water billing had become such a burden that Board President Regina spent every Sunday on it.

The HOA’s previous system relied on outdated mechanical submeters and a third-party meter reading company that often returned results marked as “unreadable.” Bills were based on averages or guesswork, leading to frustrated residents, billing disputes, and board members manually inspecting meters just to keep things functional.

That all changed when Greentree Commons switched to SimpleSUB Water—a modern, hands-free metering system installed by volunteers, monitored remotely, and backed by leak alerts and reliable billing.

Customer Profile

• Property: Greentree Commons Condominiums Association
• Type: HOA / Condo Association
• Location: Chesapeake, VA
• Meter Count: 83 units
• Interviewee: Regina, Board President

The Problem: Bad Data, Burned-Out Leadership

For years, the HOA paid a local service to read mechanical meters, but the data couldn’t be trusted.

Technicians marked meters as "unreadable" and based bills on averages or estimates.

Even when the meters were physically intact, no provider interpreted them accurately. As complaints mounted, the only way to reduce billing errors was to do it manually. Regina, the board president, and other board members began cleaning and checking all 83 meters by hand, sacrificing weekends to produce more consistent data. But the system was still broken:

• Inaccurate billing caused frustration and resident disputes.
• Board leadership was burned out from the effort.
• Meter reading vendors failed to deliver reliable results.
• The HOA had no proactive way to detect leaks or control water waste.

The Solution: Volunteer-Friendly, WiFi-Free, and Automated

SimpleSUB Water provided a modern, meterless approach that could be installed without pipe cutting, WiFi, or contractor scheduling. It was HOA-friendly from day one.

Key features that made the difference:

• Clamp-On Design: No pipe cutting, no need to amend bylaws, and no plumbers required.
• DIY Installation: Two volunteer board members installed all 83 meters on their own schedule.
• Automated Billing: Through a partnership with Think Utility Services, residents were billed accurately based on their own usage.
• Leak Alerts: Real-time notifications empowered residents to fix issues before they led to surprises or high bills.

Results: 13,000 Gallons Saved Monthly—and the Weekends, Too

With all 83 units now connected to SimpleSUB, the impact has been transformational:

• 13,000 gallons saved per month through early leak detection.
• 52 Sundays reclaimed annually—Regina no longer manually checks meters.
• Consistent, dispute-free billing based on accurate, real-time usage.
• Happier residents and a more sustainable community.

The HOA no longer depends on guesswork or unreliable third parties. With SimpleSUB, they now operate a fair, efficient, and stress-free water system.

“Everything has been smooth since we got installed. SimpleSUB is by far the most cost-effective and easiest solution I could find for our building. Their service is thorough and prompt, and in our 18 months as customers we’ve never had a problem.”
— Regina, Board President, Greentree Commons HOA

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End the Manual Meter Madness

Greentree Commons HOA reclaimed 52 weekends a year and saved 13,000 gallons of water monthly after replacing unreliable meters and manual readings with SimpleSUB Water. With hands-free monitoring, automated billing, and real-time leak alerts, the board eliminated disputes, reduced administrative stress, and restored fairness for every resident. If your HOA is tired of chasing bad data and weekend meter checks, SimpleSUB delivers the automation and peace of mind you’ve been missing.

‍Schedule a demo here.

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