A dedicated irrigation meter is a water meter that exclusively meters water used for outdoor watering and irrigation. From a customer's perspective, a separate irrigation meter provides the following benefits:
The only real negative associated with dedicated irrigation meters is the additional cost required for purchase of the meter and installation.
In general, dedicated irrigation meters are a great benefit to our customers and are encouraged.
Could an Irrigation Meter Save me money in the long run?
If you use a lot of water to irrigate the lawn or garden, fill a swimming pool or hot tub, or for home and car maintenance, consider installing an irrigation meter. The separate meter, registers outside water usage. Since the water does not enter the sanitary sewer system, you will be billed for water usage only. If you use a lot of water outside the house, this could result in significant savings on your summertime bills.
What will the Irrigation Meter cost?
In order to save money in the long run, expect to cover these initial costs associated with installing an irrigation meter:
Call 800-881-4109 for current irrigation meter package prices.
How would I estimate my savings?
You will need a copy of your account history to estimate your savings. Account history can be obtained online at the MHOG Online Bill Payment or by calling 800-881-4109.
Highlight all the sewer charges for your home for the past year. A good estimate of inside sewer use is to look at a bill from the winter months. Example: An average sewer cost in the winter is $100.00. Now look at the sewer costs during a quarter when you water outside. Say this amount is $300.00. The savings on that bill would have been $200.00 that quarter if an irrigation meter was installed in the home.
What do I need to know about installation?
When installing an irrigation meter, you must install the meter horn assembly and the backflow prevention device (if new irrigation system). The meter horn is installed horizontally before the main meter and can only be run to the irrigation system or outside spigots.
When the plumbing work is complete, you will need a person certified by the State of Michigan to perform backflow preventer testing if you have an irrigation system. If only using outside spigots, they must be the newer anti-siphon style and no certification is required. After the backflow preventer test has been completed successfully, call 810-227-5225 to set up an appointment to have the Utility Department install the new meter and reading equipment. A copy of the certification must be provided at the time of meter installation. The meter installation service call is included in the price of the additional meter. The service technician will need to enter the home in order to install the new water meter and reading equipment.
The irrigation meter usage will be billed as a separate line item on your utility bill.
IF YOU HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS, PLEASE CALL US AT 800-881-4109