Disclosure: This article is part of CSH’s Tech Corner series exploring technology trends and innovations in supportive housing. Mention of specific companies, products, or services is for informational purposes only and does not constitute an endorsement by CSH. CSH does not receive compensation from the organizations referenced in this article.
Utility expenses are placing increasing pressure on the operating budgets of supportive and affordable housing properties across the country. As property owners and operators contend with rising utility rates, aging infrastructure, and tighter margins, many are looking for practical ways to improve efficiency and preserve limited resources.
While conversations about innovation often focus on artificial intelligence and software platforms, some of the most impactful technologies may be much simpler. This month’s Tech Corner explores how preventive water-management technologies can help property owners, particularly those that operate multifamily properties, reduce water waste, lower operating costs, and improve building performance.
One often-overlooked source of water waste is the running toilet, a common maintenance issue that can significantly increase utility expenses when left undetected. A growing number of housing providers are exploring technologies designed to prevent or automatically address these leaks before they become costly problems.
Water is rapidly shifting from a predictable utility expense into a material financial risk for property owners and operators. Water management is emerging as a strategic priority. Rising rates, aging infrastructure, and increasing resource stress are converging to create what is now a portfolio-wide challenge—one that directly impacts margins, capital planning, and even insurability.
A variety of water-management products are available on the market today, ranging from consumer-grade sensors to multifamily housing solutions designed for portfolio-wide implementation. CSH has not independently evaluated these products and does not endorse any specific technology or vendor.
To learn more about this emerging approach, CSH’s Katie Kitchin, Senior Advisor for Strategy and External Affairs, and Katrina VanValkenburgh, Managing Director, Central Region, spoke with Laura Sardilli, Founder and CEO of ProdigyLink, a company focused on prevention-first water management solutions. While the examples discussed below draw from ProdigyLink’s experience, the broader themes around preventive maintenance, utility management, and operational sustainability are relevant across the supportive housing field.
Water Is No Longer Just a Cost—It’s a Constraint
Across the U.S., water and sewer rates are increasing by 5 to 8% annually, with spikes that can meaningfully erode already thin operating margins. In many regions, underlying water stress is “quiet but significant,” meaning it doesn’t always appear as a crisis until it affects budgets or service reliability.
Compounding this issue is the dual challenge of residents and aging infrastructure. Together, they create a persistent risk environment—leaks, inefficiencies, and unexpected usage spikes—that is difficult to manage using traditional, reactive approaches. The result is a reality where water is not just a cost to minimize, but a risk to actively manage across an entire real estate portfolio.
How Preventive Technologies May Reduce Utility Costs
One example of this approach comes from ProdigyLink, a woman-owned company focused on preventive-water management technologies for multifamily housing. They are helping affordable and supportive housing property owners take advantage of high-impact water technologies that eliminate leaking toilets, the most prevalent leaks in a multifamily property. Think of a motion-detecting light switch but connected to the toilet’s supply line.
Across multiple properties and organizations, toilet leak prevention valves create immediate and significant savings—averaging more than $500 per unit per year and a 48% reduction in water costs overall. Property owners see a payback of less than a year from the water and sewer savings alone, making the investment a quick improvement to their net operating income.
For example, at Bellwether Housing’s Rose Street property, daily water-related expenses dropped from $560 to $267, producing over $106,000 in annual savings and a payback period of just three months. Similarly, Victory Housing’s Robeson at Spring Flats achieved a dramatic 77% reduction in costs, translating to nearly $291,000 in annual savings.
Results will vary based on property age, infrastructure, local utility rates, occupancy patterns, and implementation practices. Housing providers should evaluate technologies based on their specific operational needs and conduct appropriate due diligence before adoption.
At the same time, experiences from multiple housing providers suggest that water waste and undetected leaks may be more than isolated property-level issues. As utility costs continue to rise, many owners and operators are exploring portfolio-wide water management strategies as part of a broader effort to improve operational efficiency, manage risk, and preserve resources for resident services and property operations.
A Prevention-First Approach to Water Management
The traditional approach to water management has relied heavily on detection, identifying leaks or anomalies after they occur and then responding. Laura and her team advocate for a prevention-first model, where the goal is to stop water waste before it begins.
For supportive housing providers, the broader lesson extends beyond any single technology. As operating costs continue to rise, preventive strategies can help organizations reduce waste, improve efficiency, and preserve resources for resident services and property operations. Sometimes, the most impactful innovations are the ones that solve everyday problems before they become costly ones.
Do you have an idea, technology, or innovative practice you’d like to share with the team at CSH? We’d love to hear from you and feature lessons from the field in a future Tech Corner.
