I have a water meter , and I'm new to water fed pole , slightly worried about how much water I'm using with my RO system which is a 725 litre tank , being filled up 4 times a week , a lot of it is wasted and takes 7 hours to fill . Is this going to be really expensive or am I worrying over nothing ? Any help much appreciated, thanks .
Welcome to the UK Window Cleaning Forums
Starting or own a window cleaning business? We're a network of window cleaners sharing advice, tips & experience. Rounds for sale & more. Join us today!
Water meter
- Thread starter Andy1423
- Start date
Help Support WCF:
- Messages
- 9,366
- Location
- Teesside
What r/o have you got?
What is your tap water tds?
What is your pure to waste water ratio? In other words, how many litres of water go down the drain to produce 1 litre of pure?
Our first r/o had a preset waste control valve which produced 3 litres of waste to 1 litre of pure. By fitting a small gate valve/ball valve to the pipe to waste, we could have reduced that to around 1.5 litres (or less) of waste to 1 litre of pure. Our current r/o is a 4040 and that is set at approx 55% waste to 45% pure. Our tap water tds is around 125ppm. If you are in a hard water area then your ratio needs to be a bit higher.
You will know what the cost of water is to you per 1 cubic meter. If you know what your pure to waste ratio is, then you will be able to get a rough indication of how much water you will use a week, then a month and it's approx production cost.
If you do a search, there are numerous posts regarding how to claim back water and sewerage costs from your local water board. As each water authority has different criteria, you will need to contact them and ask their advice.
Always be aware that there is always the possibility they could decide to put you on commercial water rates.
What is your tap water tds?
What is your pure to waste water ratio? In other words, how many litres of water go down the drain to produce 1 litre of pure?
Our first r/o had a preset waste control valve which produced 3 litres of waste to 1 litre of pure. By fitting a small gate valve/ball valve to the pipe to waste, we could have reduced that to around 1.5 litres (or less) of waste to 1 litre of pure. Our current r/o is a 4040 and that is set at approx 55% waste to 45% pure. Our tap water tds is around 125ppm. If you are in a hard water area then your ratio needs to be a bit higher.
You will know what the cost of water is to you per 1 cubic meter. If you know what your pure to waste ratio is, then you will be able to get a rough indication of how much water you will use a week, then a month and it's approx production cost.
If you do a search, there are numerous posts regarding how to claim back water and sewerage costs from your local water board. As each water authority has different criteria, you will need to contact them and ask their advice.
Always be aware that there is always the possibility they could decide to put you on commercial water rates.
Thank you for your reply , however I'm unsure on how to work all of this out . My RO system is the facelift 725 litre, tap water was 63 the last time I checked .
- Messages
- 9,366
- Location
- Teesside
At 63ppm I'm not sure why you have an r/o system. I would have thought that being on a water meter, a double di system using resin only would be a better solution; but then I haven't done the maths.
How to get waste to pure ratio. With the r/o running put the waste pipe in one container (such as a 20 litre clear place container) and do the same with the pure into another container side by side. If the container with the waste is filling up 3 times faster than the container being filled with pure, then you have a waste to pure ratio of 3 to 1.
At your tap water tds, you should see the waste container full with the pure container nearly full.
How to get waste to pure ratio. With the r/o running put the waste pipe in one container (such as a 20 litre clear place container) and do the same with the pure into another container side by side. If the container with the waste is filling up 3 times faster than the container being filled with pure, then you have a waste to pure ratio of 3 to 1.
At your tap water tds, you should see the waste container full with the pure container nearly full.
Apologies that was meant to say 163ppm
I have a 400L that is filled every nights (22 nights a month), uses about 1.2 Units of water a night on a full fill at £5.05 a Unit. Obviously the tanks isn't always empty, costs about £100 a month
Thank you , is yours an RO system or di ?
- Messages
- 1,278
- Location
- Rotherham, South Yorkshire
I've moved house to one with a water meter. Was paying £60 pm before at the old house without a meter. It started off at the new house at around £70 pm but after a year they've noticed my increased usage and upped it to £144 pm.
Im worried about asking them about it or possibly trying to get some of the sewage charge refunded in case they put me on some commercial rate and charge me even more!
Im worried about asking them about it or possibly trying to get some of the sewage charge refunded in case they put me on some commercial rate and charge me even more!
Yep I'm in the same boat , don't want to ring them as they will do commercial rates . Is £144pm just your window cleaning usage or household aswell ?
- Messages
- 1,278
- Location
- Rotherham, South Yorkshire
Both. So it's doubled
- Messages
- 9,366
- Location
- Teesside
My suggestion is to speak to as many windies in your area as you can find and ask them what they are doing? They may have already set a precedent on how your situation is dealt with by your local water authority.
It could be that you have a 'friendly' water authority who will accommodate fitting a separate water meter. If your waste water goes to a soak away, and you take your pure away, then they may allow you a full refund on the sewage element of the water to your r/o. (You will have to provide a regular water meter reading from the second meter.) If your waste water goes to sewerage, then you have to pay sewage on that, but a water meter on the pure could well qualify for a refund on the sewage element of that.
If you have to approach them directly, then I would be very careful about how much info you give to them. It would need to be just be a general enquiry with lots of 'loose ends'. You merely need to understand their policy.
When I initially approached Northumbrian water (our water authority) they point-blank shot me down about claiming any sewage rebate. This was when we were being hounded to fit a water meter.
Nightmare that is
RO with a pair of polishing DI after the tank
