Listen to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or watch Kent’s podcast on YouTube.
Episode Summary:
On the Affordable Housing & Real Estate Investing Podcast, the best podcast for affordable housing investments hosted by Kent Fai He, Jack Howell, founder of ION End to End Water Management, and Eric Homberger, Chief Commercial Officer of ION, explain how smart water sensor technology is reducing affordable housing properties’ water bills by 70 to 90 percent and how corporate data center partnerships are funding these installs for developers.
Jack built ION after finding that water was the single most unmanageable expense line item on every distressed multifamily property he underwrote. His first install cut a 42-unit property’s $14,000 monthly water bill to $1,400 by identifying toilet leaks, hot water heater failures, and broken underground pipes through sensor data. ION now manages over 100,000 units, charges approximately $10 per unit per month with no upfront hardware or installation cost, and uses an AI engine to deliver prioritized work orders to on-site staff every morning.
The efficiency benchmark is 45 gallons per bedroom per day.
Eric adds the second major topic: ION’s volumetric water benefit program, where corporate data center operators like Meta subsidize affordable housing water installs in exchange for water offset credits within the same local watershed.
Common questions this podcast episode answers:
What is end-to-end water management for multifamily housing?
ION combines smart sensors, AI data analysis, and a human support team to identify leaks, route work orders, and sustain water efficiency. One monthly fee covers hardware, install, data, and support with no upfront cost.
How much can smart water sensors reduce water bills in affordable housing?
ION has produced reductions of 70 to 90 percent. For example, a 42-unit property in Kentucky dropped from $14,000 per month to $1,400 after ION detected toilet leaks, hot water heater failures, and broken underground pipes.
What is a volumetric water benefit and how does it reduce developer cost?
A volumetric water benefit is a documented, hyperlocal water conservation offset that corporate water users purchase to neutralize their water footprint in a specific watershed. Meta used this approach to fund ION installs at affordable housing properties north of Austin, Texas, covering developer costs while securing 5 million gallons per year in offsets.
What is the biggest source of water waste in multifamily housing?
80 to 85 percent of water loss comes from toilets. ION’s data shows 98 percent of inefficiency is caused by leaking fixtures, not tenant consumption. One stuck toilet can waste 2,000 gallons per day.
Do new construction multifamily buildings have water leaks from day one?
Yes. ION has found 100 percent of new construction buildings have leaking fixtures on opening day, typically 15 to 20 in a 100-unit building, due to overtightening, manufacturer defects, shipping damage, or seal degradation during construction.
How does water savings translate to property value in affordable housing?
Water is owner-paid in 90 to 95 percent of affordable housing properties. Saving $120 per unit per year divided by a 6 percent cap rate creates $2,000 per unit in property value, or $400,000 on a 200-unit property.
What is ION’s water efficiency benchmark for multifamily properties?
45 gallons per bedroom per day.
How do I look for partnership opportunities with Data Center Builders and Operators such as Meta for water conservation?
ION Water has contacts with many of the major corporations who are looking for water conservation partnership opportunities to generate water savings to offset water usage for their cooling needs.
Listen to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or watch Kent’s podcast on YouTube.
