If you're recovering water costs with RUBS today, you've probably asked some version of this question: is it worth moving to submetering?

Here's the short version. RUBS estimates each unit's share of the water bill; submetering measures it. RUBS is quicker to start and needs no hardware. Submetering is more accurate, easier to defend with residents, allowed in markets where RUBS isn't — and, at fixture level, it shows you where water is being wasted.

The right answer depends on where your buildings are, how they're plumbed, and what you want the water line to do for NOI.

Side by side

• What each bill is based on: RUBS uses occupants, square footage or bedrooms. Submetering uses measured gallons.
• Hardware: RUBS needs none. Submetering needs meters, per unit or per fixture.
• When residents question a bill: under RUBS it's hard to answer, because the bill isn't based on their use. With submetering, you answer with their own usage history.
• Visibility into waste: none with RUBS. By unit with submetering — and by fixture with fixture-level metering.
• Regulatory outlook: RUBS is banned or capped in a growing list of markets. Submetering is required for new multifamily in some states, such as California.
• Time to start: RUBS takes weeks. Submetering starts after installation — about 15 minutes per apartment at fixture level.

When RUBS still makes sense

If your market allows it, your buildings don't have much waste, and you need cost recovery quickly without any install, RUBS does the job it was designed for.

When it's time to move

The case for actual-use billing gets stronger when RUBS is banned, capped or likely to be in your market; when water-bill disputes are eating staff time; or when your bills keep rising and you want to find the cause, not just pass it along.

That last one is the part formula billing can't fix. Under every billing arrangement, someone is paying for the waste. In a master-metered building, the owner absorbs it. Under capped RUBS, the overage lands on the owner. Passed through to residents, it's money that could have gone toward rent.

Measured billing changes the picture. Your building is submetered, every unit measured. Once the leaks are fixed, nobody pays for waste — not the tenant, not the owner.

What the switch looks like

1. Start with the rules. Confirm what's allowed in each market, what notice residents need, and whether your lease language has to change.
2. Look at your plumbing. If there's no separate pipe to each unit — common in older buildings — fixture-level metering is the practical route, because it installs on each fixture's own supply line. No re-plumbing.
3. Install. About 15 minutes per apartment, with no plumber, permits or calibration. Your maintenance team can handle it, or DrizzleX or a third party can.
4. Fix the waste before the first bill. Use the first weeks of data to find and repair running toilets and dripping fixtures, so residents' first metered bills reflect their own use — not a broken flapper.
5. Tell residents what's changing. Explain that their bill will now follow their own use. For most people, that sounds fairer than a formula, because it is.
6. Choose who sends the bills. You bill residents through your existing billing provider, a DrizzleX billing partner, or your own team in-house using DrizzleX gallons reports. In-house, you may be able to charge a water billing processing fee, which can offset the subscription. Fee rules vary by jurisdiction, so check yours.
7. Stand behind every bill. Each resident bill is backed by minute-by-minute usage history, so when someone asks why their bill went up, your team can show exactly when and where the water was used.

What changes for your NOI

Bill tenants for their actual water use. Grow your NOI.

Two things happen, and they're worth keeping separate. Billing on actual use passes around 90% of the city water bill to residents — only common-area water stays with the building. Finding and fixing waste is a separate saving on top, typically 20–40% or more of consumption when residents pay for their own use.

Residents benefit too. Actual-use billing plus fixed leaks means smaller bills for people who use less, and a real reason to conserve.

Common questions

Is submetering better than RUBS?

For accuracy, resident trust and regulatory risk, usually yes. RUBS is faster to start and needs no hardware.

How do I bill tenants for water usage?

Measure each unit's use with submeters, then bill through your billing provider or in-house from usage reports. Check local rules on notice, fees and billing format first.

Can I switch without re-plumbing?

Yes, with fixture-level meters, which don't need a separate pipe to each unit.

How much of the water bill can I recover?

Around 90% of the city bill. Common-area use typically stays with the building.

Ready to bill on actual use?

Tell us where your buildings are and how you bill today, and we'll walk you through the switch. Talk to Sales