Portal provides water consumption data to residents

SACHSE (October 23, 2018) Sachse residents can now use the internet to closely monitor their water usage, compare their consumption to other Sachse users, receive alerts on specified-use targets, and send a message to the City’s Utility Billing Department.

A portal called My Water Advisor is available at https://www.mywateradvisor.com and allows residents to set up the monitoring service by entering the unique account number on their water bill.  It’s free, secure and now available.

“The online portal is specifically designed to give water customers the ability to closely monitor their use,” says Finance Manager Berna Fitzpatrick-Walker.  “Residents using My Water Advisor can drill down to specific hours of the day to see how much water was used during that period.  They can look at their day-to-day consumption, set alerts for specified limits, and even set specific time frames such as when a family goes on vacation or initially sets their summer watering schedule.  It’s a way to know exactly not only how much, but also when, water is being used.”

The portal also allows Sachse residents the ability to monitor their use on their iPhone or Android mobile devices as well as PCs and other internet-connected devices from anywhere, anytime.  A message center on the portal allows for two-way communication with the City.

“Knowing how much water is being used on a daily basis within the household is critically important to ensure that nothing is being wasted, that leaks are detected and repaired, and that any habits that contribute to high water bills are addressed,” she said.

This is especially important not only during high-use months like the summer watering season when outdoor irrigation is in constant use, but also during the low-use winter months.  Sachse is among the majority of water providers that uses the winter averaging system in determining the cost of wastewater or sewer rates.

Because there is no reliable way to measure water that is being discharged into drains, toilets, baths, showers, sinks, dishwashers, washing machines and other water-use appliances, water providers use the amount of water entering homes during the winter months to determine wastewater or sewer rates for the following year.

Winter averaging is seen as an acceptable way of determining the wastewater charges because outdoor watering is either completely eliminated or severely curtailed during the winter.

“Water conservation is always important,” added Fitzpatrick-Walker.  “The My Water Advisor portal gives residents the ability to see, in almost real time, what their water meters are measuring on a year-round basis, helping keep costs in check during the summer and winter.  The advantages of this are evident throughout the year.”

The portal limits one email address per account, making it specifically useful for residences, but incompatible for businesses and commercial concerns.  However, the Utility Billing staff is available for consultation with commercial customers on an individual basis.