Commercial Water Leak Detector Helps Apartment Lower Water Bills

May 10, 2023

WELCOME TO THE VILLAGE AT MAYFIELD

Located in Mayfield, Ohio, The Village at Mayfield is a garden-style apartment community spanning over 16 acres and comprising 252 apartments across 24 buildings. With its well-maintained grounds, updated apartments, and experienced management staff, the community offers residents a high-quality living experience at an excellent value. Amenities include a swimming pool, fitness center, playground, pet park, and clubhouse, all of which contribute to a comfortable lifestyle. The community’s convenient location provides easy access to shopping, dining, and entertainment options in downtown Cleveland.

In 2018, Stoneweg, a multinational real estate investment firm, acquired The Village at Mayfield and implemented a value-add strategy that involved improving amenities and upgrading unit interiors. As a routine part of Stoneweg’s portfolio-wide sustainability strategy designed to optimize performance, Stoneweg began using ENERGY STAR® Portfolio Manager to benchmark the community’s energy and water use.

In January 2021, The Village at Mayfield was selected as a pilot community by Stoneweg to implement Alert Labs commercial water use monitoring technology. This technology delivers real-time water flow monitoring, analysis, and automatic identification of water consumption inefficiencies and leaks via the AlertAQ™ water intelligence platform. The community’s dedicated staff quickly installed the Alert Labs technology on each water meter at the property during the winter season in Cleveland. Not long after the system went live, it detected a significant leak at building 935.

On the left, a man sitting in front of a window smiles. On the right, maintenance staff from apartment community are seated at a table talking — Ray, the maintenance supervisor, played a significant rolein the successful installation of the water flow sensorsand AlertAQTM water intelligence platform. Thanks to thededicated efforts of Ray and the rest of the property staff,the installation process was completed smoothly.

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A man wearing a suit smiles at the camera — *Thomas Stanchak, Director of Sustainability, Stoneweg*

"Equipping our community staff with effective, low-cost technologies to leverage real time insights into utility consumption, like water, is how Stoneweg drives our Portfolio Sustainability Goals.”

HIDDEN LEAK ALERT

Building 935 at The Village at Mayfield had a water meter installed next to an oak tree that was just a sapling when the community was established in 1966. As the tree grew, its roots put pressure on the underground water main that ran from the meter to the building’s interior, causing a small fracture that gradually worsened over time. This damage went unnoticed as the water main was buried deep below the ground to protect it from winter temperatures. As a result, millions of gallons of metered, municipally treated water were wasted until Alert Labs automatic leak detection technology identified the issue in February of 2021. The water main was subsequently repaired in March. Months later in October, a similar event occurred. Empowered by their recent experience and use of real time water consumption technology, the community team investigated and promptly made valuable repairs.

A screenshot of the AlertAQ water intelligence platform showing a graph of water usage with a leak highlighted in red. — *The AlertAQ™ water intelligence platform highlights the leak in red. A full record of minute-by-minute water use and alerts is viewable on the platform.*

A water meter pit with the Flowie-O water flow sensor strapped around the water meter dial — *The Flowie-O water flow sensor uploads water flow data to the AlertAQ™ water intelligence platform for analysis and instant alerts.*

SAVINGS KEEP FLOWING

The Village at Mayfield submitted evidence of the leaks and repairs to the water and sewer utilities. The community received a $72,000 refund for the wasted water and a credit for undue sewer expenses. Stoneweg continues to identify water inefficiencies and minimize wasted water thanks to the minute-by- minute water use data and 24/7 alerts provided by Alert Labs solutions.