national multiple family submetering and allocation billing program ...

and methods of practice. NIST publishes these documents, and if a locality or state adopts the
rules, they become mandatory.
The primary product of NIST’s Weights and Measures Division is NIST Handbook 44,
“Specifications for Weights and Measures Devices” (NIST 2004b). The handbook is updated
annually and covers scales, liquid-measuring devices, vehicle tanks used as measures, and fabric
and other measurement devices. Water meters are covered under NIST Handbook 44 Section
3.36. The section outlines the standard design of water meters, testing procedures, and
acceptable tolerances for meters. The handbook does not cover the frequency with which a
meter must be tested, nor does it outline qualifications for the agency or person responsible for
testing. Those responsibilities have been left to the local or state adopters to outline.
Water submeters for multi-family buildings fall within the scope of section 3.36 of
Handbook 44. The standard for water meter accuracy is plus or minus 1.5% at normal flow and
plus 1.5% or minus 5% at low flow. Handbook 44 has been adopted entirely in 39 states and
partly in the remaining 11 states and is updated annually. Weights and measure officials respond
to complaints by consumers regarding meter accuracy.
Water and Energy Efficiency Standards
Under the National Appliance Energy Conservation Act, the US Department of Energy
administers a set of standards for the energy efficiency of certain newly manufactured consumer
appliances and commercial equipment and the water efficiency of certain newly manufactured
plumbing products. Following action by at least 17 states to set water efficiency standards for
plumbing products, Federal legislation was enacted in 1992 containing uniform national
standards for the efficiency of toilets, showerheads, urinals, lavatory and kitchen faucets, and
faucet aerators. Although state standards went into effect at various dates as early as 1989,
national standards covered all products manufactured or imported into the US beginning January
1, 1994. Non-conforming products manufactured or imported prior to that date were allowed to
be sold from inventory. It has been shown that plumbing products meeting the efficiency
standards enacted in 1992 reduce indoor residential water use by about 20% (Mayer et. al. 1999).
The Department of Energy has also adopted energy efficiency standards for certain water
using appliance that encourage (but do not explicitly require) improved water efficiency.
Efficiency standards for residential dishwashers are currently in place and efficiency standards
for clothes washers have been increased in two steps, taking effect January 2004 and January
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