Water Metered VS. Non-Metered

[Patrick Howe]

So I recently received my first water bill from the City of Chicago. My building does not have a meter so I am billed the standard rate for a 2 unit building, it was over $900. I was wondering if anyone had any experience or advice on whether or not to change over to a meter. I know the city is doing their best to force all non-metered residences to metered with the extremely high flat rate bill.

I also have studio garden unit, but the city still considers the building a 2 unit.

[Brie Schmidt]

@Patrick Howe - Chicago is one of the only major cities which does not require owners to have a water meter.  But they are pushing to have owners voluntarily install one and it is free to do.  The program guarantees that your water bill will not go above what it was the year before you added the meter, and that guarantee is good for 7 years.

Non metered water is charged at an unlimited rate and billed every 6 months.  When I was non metered my annual water cost was $1950

Once I got metered I was billed every other month and my average water cost is about $600 a year

You can request to be metered at https://www.metersave.org/