The Department of Environmental Protection to increase sewer and water rates in July - by David Schwartz

Attention property owners and managers! The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has  increased the rate for water and sewer charges 3.24% starting July 1^st. Happy New Year!But now, you can dramatically reduce this expense using patented technology and methodology developed by The Water Scrooge. Our state-of-the-art regulators provide maximum water efficiency which translates into savings on two levels. On a basic level, less water is used which means that water costs will decrease. Furthermore, since less water is being consumed, the amount of energy required to heat that water is reduced so energy costs are lower. Let’s start in the shower, the main water hog in a residential unit. As opposed to low-flow showerheads that tenants will remove, our patented Shower Regulator installs in seconds behind the shower wall, without breaking or altering the wall/tiles in any way.  It is invisible and completely tamper-proof. Tenants experience consistent water pressure and comfortable flow, while landlords see reduced water and energy bills. In addition to the patented Shower Regulator, The Water Scrooge also provides tamper-proof devices for kitchen and bathroom sinks. Our regulators are pressure compensating and EPA WaterSense approved.  They provide optimal constant water flow regardless of the line pressure, so the water pressure remains steady. Residents will be delighted with the consistent water pressure and comfortable water flow.  In addition, our regulators utilize auto-clean technology so no maintenance is required. And there is more! Are your toilets using 1.6 gallons per flush (GPF) or less?  How can you know?  The Water Scrooge has announced a new combination of patented flow measuring tools and flow adjustment devices that will accurately measure the gallons per flush in any toilet. Then, The Water Scrooge will make all necessary adjustments to make your toilets compliant with regulations, while you pocket the average savings of 1 – 2.5 GPF per toilet. We also offer a professional water leak and waste survey to identify inefficient fixtures and water leaks that might otherwise go undetected or unreported. The survey consists of a thorough visual inspection and thermal imaging technology that enables inspectors to locate hidden problems behind walls. For greatest savings, we can repeat the survey annually to make sure all fixtures are performing at maximal levels. The savings potential for buildings is tremendous. Think about energy costs. By reducing the amount of water used, since energy is required to produce hot water, lowering water consumption will also reduce energy costs. Typically, hot water accounts for 65% of residential water usage, so the energy savings can be substantial.  A  100-unit building can expect to save at least $52,300 per year in combined water and energy savings from the installation of these devices. Finally, is your property billed under the Multiple Family Conservation Program (MCP)? Then you know that by July, you must install high-efficiency shower-heads, sinks and toilets in 70% of your units. Failure to comply will result in being switched to meter-based billing. The water conservation package developed exclusively by The Water Scrooge will enable you to meet this requirement.  Furthermore, our installation saves so much water that 20% of the MCP buildings we process save money by converting to metered billing. David Schwartz is the inventor of The Water Scrooge and CEO of DS Magic Tech, LLC, Lynbrook, N.Y.