Air Infiltration: The Invisible Billing Crisis in Water Metering
Water meters are designed to measure liquid flow. But what if they can't tell the difference between water and air? Service interruptions happen regularly, maintenance work, infrastructure repairs, water rationing. Each time supply stops, pipes get drained and air fills the void. When service resumes, that air rushes through mechanical meters built to measure volume displacement, not composition. The meter counts it just like water. It spins, records usage, and adds to your bill.
The result? Bills reflect phantom consumption of water that was never delivered. Customers end up paying for air that passed through empty pipes during service interruptions. This isn't a rare glitch. It's a widespread problem affecting water customers around the world, and it stems from a fundamental limitation in how traditional mechanical meters work.
