High water consumption

[Rach.l]

My building is using 3 times the amount of water it should.
I have had the water meter changed.
I have checked every riser for leaks.
Plant is not losing water all overflow pipes visible.
Had every meter checked for other flats and businesses within our block. No one stealing our water.
No leak visible within the building or outside, it's been going on for over a year now.
All outlets are secure not letting by water.
13,000 Lts a day must be going somewhere?
Thought I would ask if anyone could think of anything or come up with any ideas?
I'm now at a loss of what to try next.
Thanks

 

[Chalked]

How many flats! And what type of businesses are there.
Your saying 4000 lires a day is going to waste? That's a massive loss.

 

[Rach.l]

Student accommodation 122 flats.
I know it's definitely not outlets, I have checked every riser and flat.
In fact I've exaustion every possibility that I or M&E consultant can think of.
Was just hoping someone might come up with a brain wave. ☺

 

[Chalked]

On average use, one person will use between 100-180 litres of fresh water a day. Your getting 106 litres per student. That's pretty good.
I don't think you have a problem.

 

[joni os]

At convenient time shut down all stopcocks, then if you have no leaks, meter will stop moving. Next , draw off 200 litres into standard container. Water meter will accurately record 200 litres. This will allow calibration of meter to be independently checked by yourself and confirm no leakage.
!0 litres/min from one tap, over 24 hrs would account for your loss. If someone is stealing your water, could they be aware when you check meter and turn their supply off in advance.

 

[Rach.l]

The 13,000lts is on top of the 100 0dd Lts calculated per person.per day.
Our water bills are 3 times as much as another building I work in similar size but slightly bigger.
1 building is 3 to 4000 pounds per quarter we are paying around £10,000 per quarter.

 

[rpm]

My building is using 3 times the amount of water it should.

Had every meter checked for other flats and businesses within our block. No one stealing our water.

Slightly confused here, are you saying all this water is going through your meter and only your meter or is your meter registering everyone`s water usage?

 

[Rach.l]

I have tried this when new meter fitted all good.

 

[Rach.l]

Through our meter it is inside the plant room.

 

[Chalked]

So your saying that your losing 13,000 litres a day!
How much is it using?

 

[Rach.l]

It's only water meter usage within our building. No one else's water.

 

[snowhead]

Is the Water meter being read visually or electronically?

How often is the meter being read?

If it's read very frequently you may pick up a pattern.

 

[Rach.l]

It is a visual meter read monthly and I do it too monthly as well.

 

[Dotty]

Rach, to be honest this isn't something you're going to get to the bottom of until term end and the building is temporarily empty.

I had something similar years ago. Turned out to be a student that used to leave her tap on because she thought it improved the humidity....

 

[Chalked]

Can't be right
With a bill
I've that, your using 5,000,000 a month! Or 1500litres a day per person.

 

[Rach.l]

We did calculate the water usage. I can't remember exact amount. But we had one night when no one was in the building except for 1 person. Probably using the toilet and making a cup of tea. So i took a reading that evening and again in the morning and we had used around 13,000Lts.

 

[Rach.l]

Yep that's what I mean it's not possible. surveyor said it was like a hose pipe on full 24 hours a day.

 

[Dotty]

If the toilets have internal overflows I'd begin with them....

 

[Rach.l]

That might be but it's been going on for over a year. Beginning of September everyone moved out and I checked early morning when the building was compketely empty checking every riser listening to drain and soil pipes, there was nothing, you could hear a drip. We found 1 toilet overflowing a tiny bit. That was it.

 

[stani]

Urinals if not set correctly

 

[Rach.l]

Thanks yes I've done that all ok.

 

[Rach.l]

Thanks but no urinals.

 

[joni os]

Rach, to be honest this isn't something you're going to get to the bottom of until term end and the building is temporarily empty.

I had something similar years ago. Turned out to be a student that used to leave her tap on because she thought it improved the humidity....

Reminds me of overseas nurse who complained heating not working in middle of summer heatwave. Turned out she required the heating to make yogurt.

 

[Rach.l]

So just think if my building is water tight and I believe it is. What is it I have missed. I know this building really well and I am completely baffled.

 

[Chalked]

I would start by isolating different areas and have somone reading the meter.

 

[snowhead]

For a building of that size I would have thought the meter would have a pulse output.
This can be monitored constantly and show when most usage occurs.

eg ; Crucible Technologies - Home

Failing that,

Check the meter every hour through a 24hr period.

Plus,
Does each riser have it's own isolation valve?

If so, someone watch the meter, someone turn off each riser 1 at a time.
The flow through the meter will disappear when the guilty riser is found.
It won't affect the users if you turn the riser off and then straight back on.
Maybe do it early, before 10 am before the students get up !!

Then track down users on the guilty riser.
If it's spread over all risers, you must have normal consumption and the other building has extremely low consumption.

PS beaten to some of it by Chalked

 

[Joncpi]

Is it possible there is a irrigation system you are not aware of? Or more simply an outside tap perhaps fed underground?
Is there a fire extinguisher system?
If possible isolate each riser to find the one using this water. If no isolation valves, fit some. Then isolate in turn in order to narrow down your search.
I have had an overflow pipe leaking into the cavity, impossible to detect until I checked every single overflow visually.
Is there a pipe running in a cavity somewhere? I know there shouldn't be but I am never suprised by builders!