Water meters

Last updated March 21, 2024

In Montréal, water meters are installed on all buildings used wholly or partly for non-residential purposes. Meters are used to determine the real consumption of these users and encourage better use of drinking water.

Meters are devices that continuously measure and record the volume of water used in a building. They are equipped with a remote reading system and comply with the NSF61 standard.

Why use water meters

The Stratégie québécoise d’économie d’eau potable (Québec’s strategy for conserving drinking water) requires all Québec municipalities to produce a precise annual report on water use and to reduce drinking water production by 20 per cent by 2025.

Montréal is responding with actions that include installing water meters in all non-residential and mixed-use buildings.

Thanks to their continuous data collection, these meters allow us to detect abnormally high usage and locate leaks faster, thus reducing wasted water.

Mandatory installation

Every building intended in whole or in part for non-residential use, whether existing or to be constructed, must be equipped with a water meter.

Residential-only buildings are not affected by this program. However, in order to get a picture of residential water consumption, meters that are already installed will be used exclusively for data sampling.

By knowing more about water usage, Montréal will be able to better plan and meet the needs of its population, and ensure an equitable distribution of water costs among all users.

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