ION Water frequently
asked questions

ION combines smart technology sensors, real-time data intelligence, and expert support to pinpoint invisible leaks at the unit level, alert maintenance teams instantly, and give property and portfolio managers clear, long-term visibility and control over water use for maximum savings.

Submeters or sensors alone don’t provide the visibility or control property and portfolio managers need to reduce and stabilize water use and costs. Only ION provides a comprehensive solution that combines:

• State-of-the-art sensor technology able to pinpoint leaks at the unit and fixture level
• AI driven, actionable intelligence that alerts site teams to priority leak locations to stop water loss fast
• Human based support to assist with challenges as they arise

This unique combination ensures that water consumption and cost is visible, measurable and manageable for the life of every asset.

At ION Water, we work with every partner to address their specific needs and customize our End-to-End Water Management system for maximum water and cost savings.

Every partner has a dedicated Account Executive, receives daily communication alerting site teams to priority leaks, is provided with comprehensive reports for property and portfolio management, and, importantly, has access to and is fully supported by our dedicated Partner Support Team for questions or assistance.

Here is an overview of what our partners have told us helps them ensure they maximize water savings with ION Water.

Lead from the Top
Secure executive buy-in by making water stabilization a strategic goal for savings and NOI growth. ION Water provides materials to educate staff at all levels on the importance of water optimization.

Make Water Management Part of SOPs
ION’s daily leak alerts, automated work orders, and real-time data make it easy for teams to integrate water management into site-level SOPs and monthly reviews.

Set Clear Targets
Set gallon and dollar savings goals, then track results, and maintain oversight using the ION Control™ platform, which provides unit level visibility of water use and cost across properties and portfolios.

Leverage ION Resources
Easy training and 24/7 access to ION’s Partner Success and Operations Teams help partners troubleshoot, optimize performance, and maximize ROI.

Support Maintenance Teams
ION trains and supports maintenance staff to act quickly on alerts, prioritize major leaks, and track usage, making repairs efficient and property-wide management effective.

Yes. ION-documented water performance helps reduce water and sewer capacity impact fees at permitting, turning a compliance requirement into savings.

Yes. ION’s End-to-End Water Management System can expand LIHTC-eligible basis by qualifying as a capital improvement to, and integral component of, a property’s utility infrastructure. Higher NOI from reduced water expense supports higher valuation and debt capacity.

ION’s End-to-End Water Management System reduces water consumption by 50-60%, allowing underwriting at 45 gallons per bedroom per day (GBD) vs. the national average of 105 GBD. Lower, stabilized water use lowers monthly utility bills and operating costs on the P&L across the LIHTC compliance period.

Long-term lower water consumption generates stronger NOI, changing the story developers tell capital partners at refinance and exit. Water shifts from a line-item cost to a lever developers can actively build into deal strategy from day one.

Taken together, impact fee reductions, expanded eligible basis, and NOI uplift enhance the value of an asset throughout its lifecycle. That turns water management from an operating expense into a value-creating capital investment, strengthening the asset story at exit.

Yes. ION Water offers corporate sustainability partnerships and financing (with partners like Amazon and Meta) in certain geographic areas to fund all or part of the system at low or no upfront cost.

Controlled water use and cost ensures properties are better prepared and stabilized for a challenging climate future.

A submeters’ sole purpose is to bill residents for water. Therefore, they typically only count gallons used.

ION’s goal is to optimize water performance. That’s why our data is 20,000X more granular than a typical submeter. Data this precise enables ION to identify invisible leaks at the unit and fixture level, revealing how much water is being lost and for how long. Smart algorithms prioritize leaks and trigger automated work orders to help maintenance teams act quickly on critical leaks. This level of accuracy and visibility lets ION provide performance data, analytics, leak detection, and more with high confidence and accuracy, empowering our partners to maintain water consumption at 50-60% below industry average.

Visit our ION vs. Submeters & Sensors page for more detailed information.

ION is AWWA certified for tenant billing.

ION Water’s End-to-End Water Management solution easily integrates with the two most popular Property Management Software (PMS) systems, Yardi and RealPage, as well as most other PMS and billing systems.

Visit our PMS & Billing Integration page for more detailed information.

Implementation time varies based on property type, individual property characteristics and partner readiness. Once we are given the green light to proceed, installations are typically completed within 4-8 weeks.

ION Water can compare total unit-level water consumption to the water main to identify abnormal non-unit related consumption spikes. For example, if total building consumption far exceeds total unit consumption and or that difference is sustained outside of normal hours, the discrepancy is an indicator of a potential issue, including underground leaks.

On average, ION saves 50- 60% of total water and sewer consumption. As a part of our process, we start by analyzing current water use performance to determine an accurate projection of your savings.