Student Residence – Water Loss Management

Background

The subject portfolio is made up of 110 dormitory style apartments each containing five bedrooms and the majority having separate bathrooms that include shower, toilet and vanity. Total toilet count was 459 across the 110 units.

Problem

The properties were experiencing relatively high-water consumption during periods of minimal occupancy that were the result of COVID occupancy restrictions and general seasonality with the academic year. Dollar impact was in excess of $4,000 per month for water and sewer charges for an empty building. The problem was addressed in the short term when the water supply to the individual toilets was shut off. As this was a temporary fix, the building owner was looking for a way to identify when toilets were running and/or other high usage and/or leak events that were otherwise going undetected and were no action was being taken.

The key objectives were to

• flag leak activity specifically in relation to toilets and;
• give ownership ability to advise property management to investigate at a per unit level as to where leaks were occurring and;
• In extreme cases remotely shut-off cold water supply
• Increase ability to self-manage water leak activity to strengthen ability to drive down insurance premiums upon renewal and/or address escalating deductible limits;

Option A was to install individual meter/ monitoring sensors on each toilet. Option B was to install individual meters / monitoring sensors on the cold water feed to each unit as facilitated by the ease of shut-off access. Option B was selected as a function of cost and return. It was determined that having a line of sight with shut off capability at the 5 bedroom unit level was sufficient to meet the objectives. Industry trends suggest that ⅔ water flow at suite level is cold water. Using a reading device from Alert Labs (www.alertlabs.com) on the main meter and comparing it to aggregate consumption at suite level has verified that 64% of total water flow to the building is being captured by meters on in-suite cold water lines. In this example, each unit had either a mechanical closet and/or access to a hot and cold ¾” shut off to use as an access and monitoring point.

Solution

The final solution was to install in-line smart meters from Saya Life www.saya.life on the cold water feed to in turn provide;

• Shut-off capabilities;
• Notification and diagnostic tool to pinpoint where leaks and/or over usage were taking place and;
• Data collection for sharing with insurance provider
The SayaLife(™) solution included;
• ¾“ smart meter equipped with pressure, temperature and flow rate sensors and remote shut-off capabilities;
• Gateway infrastructure to receive sensor data by way of LoRA protocol;
• Cloud based back end with AI and machine learning to provide high usage alerts and;
• Desktop and Mobile Device to manage Notifications and as appropriate, initiate cold water shut-off

Implementation Challenges / Issues

The three (3) buildings ranged in size from;

• 6 storey, 21 units
• 7 storey, 28 units and;
• 18 storey, 63 units

SUMMARY INSTALLATION CONDITIONS

Buildings	Units	CW Shut Off	Pipe Material	110 V Power Access	Hot Water Source
A	21	Mechanical Closet	Pex ¾”	In Closet	Central
B	28	Mechanical Closet	Copper 3/4″	In Closet	In-suite, HW Tank
C	63	Hall Closet via Access Panel	Pex ¾”	New install in Closet	Centra

Key Installation Challenges

• Ample room after shut-off for approximately 20” lay length
• Proximity to 110 outlet for meter’s power adapter
• Gap between hot and cold lines making space for install too tight resulting in ‘built-out’ access boxes to accommodate dimensions of meter

COMMUNICATION INFRASTRUCTURE & INSTALLATION

Building	Units	Stories	# GWs	Location	Gateway LAN Access	Antenna Location
A	21	6	1	4th Floor Riser Closet	Closet, run from Adjacent Suite	Interior Closet
B	28	7	1	4th Floor, In-suite	Telco Panel In-suite	Ceiling, above Drywall via Access Panel
C	63	18	1	5, 10, and 15th Floor Service Rooms	Service Rooms. LAN Switch and Runs through existing riser	Service Rooms

Key Communication Infrastructure Issues

The water meter sensors communicate to the Gateways by way of LoRA protocol. Each gateway requires access to a standard 110 V outlet and a LAN connection.

• In this instance, the abundance of internet / LAN wiring was very advantageous as the running of cables was limited and the ability to access telco panels in each unit also created flexibility. The presence of this infrastructure expedited the rate at which the communication infrastructure was able to be installed.
• The Gateways receive the data from the sensors by way of a large antenna (48” in length). These antennas are best installed in open space to maximize their reach and the strength of the signal received.
• Installing in common area hallways proved to be too risky from a vandalism perspective
• Building A antenna was moved to interior of riser closet with drywall between closet and hallway
• Building B antenna was moved from top of concrete block wall in hallway to above drywall ceiling with access
• Building C antennas (3) were moved from top of concrete block wall in hallway to interior wall of service rooms. Re-positioning has resulted in three (3) GWs losing some coverage within the building and requiring follow up installation of Repeaters to be positioned throughout the building.

What worked

• Introduction to Client from web-based lead generation platform supported by an industry partner;
• Initial dialogue between Client and his Insurance Broker to frame the importance of risk management being a key deliverable for this project;
• Engaging with Client’s third-party networking / IT partner to assist with Gateway and Antenna installation. Their knowledge and insight of building and its internet infrastructure were of great help;
• Using two (2) different plumbing Subcontractors for meter installation supported ability to meet client’s deadline;
• Shifting install point on Building B with in-unit hot water tanks further downstream from shut off.
• Plumbing configuration prior to HW tank would have greatly increased costs and time required to complete the project;
• Testing antennas for coverage prior to final installation point to ensure coverage was adequate;
• Installing Flowie sensor on City Meter at Building A to corroborate trends picked up from individual, in-suite meters;
• Communication between install partner (Data City) and backend support at SayaLife to coordinate signal strength and Gateways coming on-line;
• Engaged and supportive property manager with regular / daily text and email contact providing regular updates;
• Status updates from Project Manager with one of the two plumbing Subcontractors;

What didn’t work

• Assuming hallway antenna installation would be sufficient from a security / vandalism perspective;
• Inconsistency with Subcontractors from quote / site visit perspective to proper price and gauge time and materials for meter installs;
• Shipping delays from supplier where product was held up in customs based upon simple value declaration error originating with shipper
• A plumbing subcontractor cancelled day before they were scheduled to start based upon site visit one day prior to when they were supposed to start;

Knowing what we know now, what will we do differently next time ?

• Assume full ownership of shipping and engage our customs brokerage partner on all shipments;
• Ship Meters, Antennas and Gateways in a single shipment;
• Confirm with client / owner suitability and acceptance of antenna installation locations;
• Require subcontractors to complete site visits well in advance of delivery of quotes;
• Ensure plumbing subcontractor has sufficient track record and appropriate team to manage project within prescribed timelines;
• Confirm fit / space for meters where shut off is within an access panel;

Executive Summary

• Flow, Temperature, Pressure and Volume performance is extremely accurate
• Installation with proper planning can be done in an approx 1.0 hour per unit
• Proximity to and / or pre-planning for access to power outlet plays a large role in installation efficiency
• Knowledge of internet / LAN infrastructure in building was a key success factor to support efficient commissioning and set up of the Gateways

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