Metro Vancouver has developed a Residential Water Metering in Metro Vancouver: Best Practices Guide, that provides key considerations to support local government decision making on advancing water metering in each community.
Water metering is widely acknowledged as a best management practice with the majority of major cities across North America, Europe and Australia already metered. The decision whether to meter residential customers resides with each local government.
Within the Metro Vancouver region, most industrial, commercial and institutional water use is metered. However, residential water metering levels vary across the region with recent metering estimates at 53 percent of multi-family buildings and 28 percent of single family homes.
Benefits of water metering include improved billing equity, water conservation, leak detection and reduction, water systems management, environmental stewardship, and resiliency to climate change.
The guide was based on a Regional Assessment of Residential Water Metering study that considered costs and benefits associated with various water metering scenarios as well as extensive input from local government staff, regional advisory committees, the Water Committee and the GVWD Board.
Metro Vancouver is committed to ensuring a livable, resilient, and sustainable region. Providing clean, safe drinking water and ensuring sustainable use to meet future needs are key priorities.