Monthly Archives: October 2011

Putting a value on green homes

By Christina Blackston Though the benefits of green and energy saving improvements might already be evident to the homeowner, The Appraisal Institute has now introduced a standardized method for appraisers to analyze and report that data. The “Residential Green and … Continue reading

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It’s the end of Chicago’s water rates as we know them, and I feel fine

By Josh Ellis.  This post originally appeared on www.metroplanning.org. Embedded within the Emanuel Administration’s proposed 2012 Budget is set of rate increases that will bring the price we pay for water services much closer to the actual cost of providing … Continue reading

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Fourth installment of ELPC series on groundwater protection in McHenry County focuses on efficiency

By Angie Ziech Last week the Environmental Law & Policy Center released part four of its four-part series “Land Use Tools to Protect Groundwater”, helping citizens of McHenry County, Illinois realize the value of shallow groundwater. Part 4: Water Efficiency … Continue reading

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Meter reading in Chicago

This post is a companion to this month’s water story. While all of Chicago’s suburbs are metered, Chicago has more than 300,000 unmetered homes and businesses, which account for some 20 percent of water revenue. Simply put, Chicago is losing … Continue reading

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A short history of meter reading technology

This post is a companion to this month’s water story.  Thanks to Ken Molli of Veolia Water for providing this concise history of water meters. Manual Read Meter.  Meter reader reads register dials and records reading in ledger book.  Billing … Continue reading

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Not your father’s water meter

When one of his customers received a whale of a water bill for more than $21,000, Don Catanese, a 31-year veteran field service tech, knew something was amiss. Typically, the monthly bill for this industrial user comes in around $3,500. … Continue reading

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