Smart meters, digital systems and leak detection technologies can significantly reduce water consumption. As the European Commission points out, remote metering alone can reduce water consumption by up to 25 per cent. For building managers, this is a compelling reason to treat water monitoring as a tool for controlling costs, minimising wastage and responding swiftly to faults. Without reliable data, it is difficult to assess where consumption is justified and where it begins to result in unnecessary wastage.
Effective water management is becoming one of the key challenges for building owners and managers, and the European Union’s policy direction shows that data, monitoring and the rapid detection of wastage are becoming increasingly important. The European Commission, whilst working on a plan to digitise the water sector, points out that smart meters can reduce water consumption by up to 25 per cent, digital systems can bring a further 5–8 per cent in savings, whilst leak detection techniques can reduce consumption by a further 7–14 per cent [1].
This is particularly important in large facilities with numerous water supply points. Even a minor fault with a tap, valve or section of the pipework, if left unnoticed for several days, can result in significant losses. The problem lies not only in the additional water consumption, but also in the risk of flooding, damage to technical infrastructure or disruption to the facility’s operations. The scale of the consequences can therefore be greater than the severity of the fault alone would suggest.
– In a large building, water losses can quickly mount up, which is why tools that enable the detection of unusual consumption as early as possible are so important. In premises equipped with a BMS, smart meters or remote reading solutions, alerts notifying of sudden increases in consumption play a vital role. In older properties that lack such infrastructure, regular technical rounds, system inspections and the expertise of the maintenance team remain crucial. A leak is not always immediately visible, which is why prevention and a rapid response are considerably cheaper than dealing with the consequences of neglect – explains Dorota Włodarczyk-Strugalska, project group manager at SPIE Building Solutions.
The design of the system itself is also important. Too few shut-off valves can mean that repairing a minor fault requires the water supply to be shut off across a large part of the building. In medical, industrial, service or commercial premises, this can disrupt business continuity.
A lack of data makes it difficult to control costs
In office, industrial and service buildings, water is used in many areas: toilets, technical installations, cooling systems, watering green spaces and the maintenance of communal areas. If a property is billed solely on the basis of the main meter, the property manager knows the total consumption but does not know where the greatest costs actually arise. This is particularly important in production plants and technical facilities, where water is an integral part of operational processes. Water consumption affects not only bills but also profitability, the stability of plant operations and operational continuity.
– A building owner should know not only how much water the property consumes, but above all, where this consumption occurs. The main meter alone does not provide a complete picture. It is only sub-meters on selected circuits that allow us to identify the highest costs, potential losses and areas where modernisation is most effective – emphasises Dorota Włodarczyk-Strugalska.
One example is the watering of green spaces. Sewage charges are often calculated on the basis of water consumption, so the lack of separate metering can lead to overcharging. In Warsaw and the surrounding area, from 11 July 2026, the sewage charge will be 9.87 zł per 1 m³. This means that 100 m³ of water used for watering without a sub-meter could result in an additional sewage charge of nearly 987 zł, even though this water does not enter the sewerage system. In large properties, where consumption is measured in hundreds of cubic metres, the scale of such overcharges rises rapidly.
Measure first, modernise later
Water efficiency does not always require costly investments. Often, the first results come from basic measures: fitting aerators, touchless taps, water-saving fittings, efficient cisterns or additional shut-off valves. However, this requires first identifying where water consumption actually occurs.
– From a technical management perspective, however, it is crucial that decisions regarding replacement or modernisation are based on data: system inspections, consumption monitoring and an assessment of where the greatest cost and operational benefits can be achieved. That is why water management should begin with an inspection of the system and the installation of meters. Only then can decisions be made regarding sub-meters, remote meter reading, the expansion of the BMS or the modernisation of selected equipment – concludes Dorota Włodarczyk-Strugalska.
This approach allows water to be viewed not merely as an item on the utility bill, but as an area of real operational risk. The better the metering and monitoring, the greater the chance that the property manager will react before uncontrolled consumption, a breakdown or an incorrectly selected installation results in financial losses and disruptions to the building’s operations.
