The challenge
Revenue and conservation issues can hide inside utility data.
Cities often focus on physical leaks when they think about water loss. But apparent loss can also come from
meters that are not registering accurately, accounts that are misclassified, billing factors that are incorrect,
inactive accounts with usage, missing reads, duplicate records, or other data issues.
For a small city, even a limited number of unresolved meter or billing issues can create long-term revenue loss,
weaken confidence in utility reporting, and make conservation planning harder.
The approach
WaterSearch reviewed the data behind the water system.
The analysis focused on the records that connect water production, customer usage, billing accuracy,
and revenue recovery. Rather than treating water loss as only a field issue, the review looked for patterns
in utility data that could point to specific meters, accounts, and records needing further investigation.
Meter and account review
Identified records that may deserve field verification or staff review.
Usage pattern review
Flagged zero-use, low-use, unusual, or inconsistent usage patterns.
Billing data review
Looked for rate, factor, multiplier, and classification issues that may affect billing accuracy.
Revenue opportunity review
Estimated the potential impact so city staff could prioritize action.
What was identified
Approximately 28 million gallons of revenue-water opportunity.
The review identified approximately 28 million gallons of water opportunity that deserved further review
for meter accuracy, account accuracy, billing confidence, and revenue recovery.
The key insight
Water loss is not always just a pipe problem. Some of the fastest opportunities for improvement may already
be visible in the city’s meter, billing, usage, and account data.
“When water use is measured and billed correctly, cities gain better revenue visibility,
customers receive better usage signals, and leaders can make more confident system decisions.”
Why it matters
Conservation, revenue, and confidence are connected.
Accurate water data supports more than billing. It helps cities conserve water, strengthen utility funds,
improve customer fairness, and make better long-term decisions about infrastructure and system planning.
WaterSearch helps city teams move from uncertainty to visibility by identifying the specific accounts,
meters, and data patterns that may be causing hidden revenue loss.
Next step
Start with a Water Revenue Diagnostic.
The WaterSearch Revenue Diagnostic helps cities identify meter, billing, usage, and account issues that may be
quietly reducing utility revenue. The WaterSearch Monitoring Service then provides scheduled reviews on a cadence
that fits the city’s system, budget, and staffing capacity.
Note: This case story is presented as an anonymized example. Final revenue recovery and corrective action
depend on city validation, field review, billing-system updates, and implementation decisions.
