Miami-based company finds way save water, lower bills

Eco Systems uses leak detection system to help lower water bills

MIAMI ā€“ Saving the environment and saving money usually don't go hand in hand, and most conservation efforts cost a pretty penny. But Miami-based company Eco Systems says they've done both.

They say they've found a way to save millions of gallons of water, while lowering water bills by thousands of dollars in the process.

"We have a company that's able to do something for the environment as well as business," Eco Systems co-founder Lawrence Lamondin said.

Lamondin said it's all in their technology and leak detection system.

"What we do is go into properties like condominiums, nursing homes, etc, and we retrofit, especially in the bathrooms," co-founder Richard Lamondin said. "We don't rip anything out. We keep the guts and make adjustments."

Property managers were skeptical at first.

Christa Bruett, who manages the 160-unit Treasures on the Bay 2 in North Bay Village said: "My initial reaction was they were exaggerating what they could do for us."

Bruett decided to give Eco Systems a shot, and her decision paid off.

"We used to consume over a million gallons of water a month. Now we're down to 500,000 and our bills used to be around $16,000 or $17,000 a month and now we're down to about $7,000,"Ā  Bruett said.

Eco Systems cut the water usage in half, along with the water bill.

They've worked on 55 properties in Florida and out of state, and say the results have been nothing but positive.

Once they're done retrofitting a property, they also train maintenance workers on the technology so they can make easy fixes when necessary.