Request clarification regarding abnormal water consumption billing.
Did you receive a text message from Mei-Modiin with a warning about abnormal consumption?
Or maybe your water bill seems too high to them?
What's next?
What needs to be verified?
Here, we'll provide a detailed explanation.
Let's begin with the legal guidelines:
According to the law, the roles and responsibilities of water corporations are limited to managing the public/municipal piping up to the main water meter at the building's entrance.
From the main water meter onwards, the piping is private and belongs to the tenants, and its maintenance is their responsibility.
Yes, even the common plumbing of the building or complex where you live is considered private plumbing that you own.
The law defines abnormal consumption as follows:
"Extraordinary consumption" in a private meter refers to the amount of water measured in the private meter (residential/associated) that equals or exceeds 150 percent of the normal consumption recorded in the water meter during the corresponding period last year.
For the main meter, abnormal consumption will be defined as a consumption of 150% or more compared to the corresponding period last year.
As it concerns consumption through private piping, Mei-Modiin has no means of determining the reason for water usage in your apartment or building. We are unable to ascertain whether extensive irrigation was utilized or if the water was used for other purposes.
Several city residents discovered the following causes for abnormal consumption in their apartment or building:
- Irrigation systems - even when properly programmed, may occasionally water at unexpected times and in excessive quantities. It's important to conduct regular checks.
- Filling pools for children during the summer.
- Hosting additional family members for a significant period of time.
- Filling water reservoirs in high-rise buildings, and more.
Installing a check valve in the private plumbing system can prevent water surges from one apartment to another, depending on the building's plumbing configuration.
If we're uncertain about the source of the consumption, why are we sending you SMS messages?
To inform you about abnormal consumption compared to previous periods and encourage you to investigate the cause to save water and money. Additionally, you can consider the feasibility of installing a pressure regulator in your private system. This is solely your responsibility and not the responsibility of an intelligence agency.
How can we assist you?
Our measurement systems can provide insight into your daily water consumption.
You can also view it yourself! Transparently and daily.
We invite you to access the website or application where you can monitor your water consumption on a daily basis.
For an explanation of the READ YOUR METER system for independent monitoring of your water consumption, click here.
Moreover, our water measurement system can identify typical water requirements associated with activities such as irrigation and filling water reservoirs in shared buildings.
If we observe consistent water consumption in the system during the summer months at recurring intervals, we will advise you to inspect the irrigation system.
Click here to access the guide for shared consumption.
Verifying the accuracy of the water meter (arbitration check)
If you suspect that your water meter may not be functioning correctly, you can have it tested at an external laboratory certified by the Water Authority for this purpose.
The Water Authority has established a systematic and structured inspection process, conducted according to the following guidelines:
- Get in touch with us via phone, WhatsApp, or email.
We'll send you a form to sign for an arbitration review request. You can make the payment for the test with a credit card or bring a deposit check in person.
The amount may vary periodically based on the Water Authority's guidelines.
- Mei-Modiin’s meter team will remove the water meter, send it for testing, and install a new one in its place. The water meter will undergo testing at an external laboratory certified by the Water Authority.
- If the laboratory report indicates that the water meter is not functioning properly, the deposit check will not be voided, and Mei-Modiin will cover the cost of the test. Additionally, an investigation will be carried out to determine the potential refund of payments for abnormal consumption, if applicable under the provisions of the law. (If you paid for the test with a credit card, you will, of course, receive a credit for this payment if the meter is found to be faulty).
- If the laboratory report confirms that the water meter is functioning properly, the deposit check will be cashed, and the deposit amount will be transferred to Mei-Modiin to cover the costs of inspection and installation of the new meter. Residents will not receive compensation for claims of abnormal consumption, if any.
If you suspect that your water bill is incorrect and does not accurately reflect your actual consumption, the law establishes rules and procedures entitling you to submit a request to Mei-Modiin to review the water charges.
Explanation of the procedures for requesting clarification of a water bill, in accordance with Section 43 of the standard regulations - Request for periodic bill clarification.
By when can a clarification request be submitted?
You can submit a water consumption billing inquiry no later than 30 days from the payment deadline.
If there is a leak, please complete a leak request form available on the forms page. You can fill out either an online form or a printed form.
If the water corporation has received a request to clarify an unusual charge, it must verify the method used to determine the charge (whether it was based on estimation or meter reading), the time elapsed since the meter calibration, and whether the meter was inspected in accordance with section 26 (meter removed from another property).
Announcement of investigation results and any additional tests
- In accordance with section 47 of the standard regulations, the company will provide written notification to the consumer within 14 business days from the date of receiving a request for an inquiry. This notification will include the results of the inquiry conducted pursuant to section 43 (c), as well as any actions taken as a result.
- According to the law, the letter must outline the consumer's entitlement to request the company, within 21 days of receiving notification of the inquiry results, to perform additional tests as per section 48, or to request the company to send the water meter for laboratory testing following regulation 47 of the water measurement regulations.
- The letter that will be sent to you will provide a detailed explanation of the inspection process and the applicable rates. It will also outline the consumer's right to receive a refund if the inspection reveals that the water meter was not functioning properly.
Conducting additional tests
The corporation may be requested to perform additional tests within 21 days from the date of receiving notification of the investigation results. This request must be accompanied by completing the form titled "Request for Clarification Regarding an Unusual Charge".
What is examined in the additional tests?
- Has maintenance work been conducted on the piping near the property or on the water supply pipes serving the area where the property is located, with reasonable grounds to believe that the work may have affected the water meter reading?
- Have the water meters within the property been exchanged between consumers?
- Has the water meter been installed in compliance with the water measurement regulations?
- The conditions under which one may request clarification of an exceptional charge, as outlined in Section 52A of the Standard Rules, are detailed in the following section of this chapter.
- Any additional inspection deemed necessary by the company's engineer, considering the circumstances, to clarify the charge for water consumption.
When is it not possible to submit a request to clarify an unusual charge?
Note: The law specifies certain conditions under which it is not possible to submit a request for clarification of an unusual charge.
These terms are explained below:
- According to the law, if you have previously submitted a request to clarify an unusual charge on the private water meter or the main water meter in the building within the last two years, you cannot submit another request to the corporation for the same water meter.
- In such instances, the law permits submitting the request to clarify an unusual charge to the governmental authority, the Water Authority. The application can be submitted through the Water Authority website in this case.
