AutoSpa Burlington Cuts Water Costs by ~17% with the Meter Efficiency Value
- Location
Ontario, Canada
- Global Adjustment Class
A Class
- Program
Industrial Conservation Initiative (ICI)
Utilities alone can account for 15-20% of operating expenses in car wash operations. With rising water costs affecting 40% of operators, water efficiency has become a critical margin lever for high-volume facilities.
AutoSpa operates two locations in the Greater Toronto Area. Both facilities deliver a premium experience at scale, but delivering quality at volume means paying close attention to margins. “A key factor is to manage the cost of utilities,” says Fred Misheal, who has been with AutoSpa since 2007. The two AutoSpa facilities operate under the same standards, but face very different water realities.
Can you imagine that with multiple sites? The bulk savings across multiple sites would be massive.
Fred Misheal AutoSpa Burlington
The Challenge
Rising utilities with no control over pricing. Water costs climbed through 2025. “From January to December 2025, our water costs rose almost 10%, and we had no control over it,” Fred recalls.
The compounding effect. Higher water consumption drives up wastewater and stormwater charges. Any reduction in incoming water delivers a double benefit: lower supply costs and reduced wastewater charges. This challenge was particularly evident at the Burlington location, a high-volume wash without a reclaim system, featuring one of the longest tunnels in North America.
Why reclaim wasn’t the answer. Reclaim systems require significant capital and ongoing maintenance. Even under optimal conditions, payback may take several years. “Even when it’s working at maximum output, the ROI on reclaim is about five years,” Fred notes. Burlington required measurable savings quickly, without a long payback or major build-out.
The Solution
AutoSpa Burlington implemented the Meter Efficiency Valve (MEV) from Active Business Services. The MEV is a mechanical valve installed downstream of the municipal meter that improves water flow by reducing turbulence and inefficiencies that can lead to over-registration, while maintaining required pressure and wash performance. For high-volume operations, this means more accurate metering and reduced billed consumption, without changing wash chemistry, customer experience, or core equipment.
The decision was driven by a clear, low-risk value proposition. Active Business Services offered validation in real operating conditions, with the option to remove the valve if results didn’t materialize. Direct access to experienced specialists who understood high-throughput operations created confidence to move forward.
Facility assessment and suitability confirmation. “Active comes and studies the facility before suggesting the valve to make sure it’s suitable,” Fred says. “If they believe it’s not going to benefit the owner, they won’t suggest it.” For Burlington, the assessment confirmed suitable pressure and volume conditions.
Installation and hands-on support. “The support after installation was outstanding – the team stayed engaged, came onsite when needed, and made sure everything was working as it should,” Fred notes.
The Result
Approximately 17% improvement by month six. Performance was tracked using washes completed per cubic metre of water consumed. Results showed higher throughput with lower overall consumption.
The roughly 17% improvement equates to approximately $19,000 in annual water cost savings. There are indications that additional savings may be achievable through further fine tuning. “Can you imagine that with multiple sites? The bulk savings across multiple sites would be massive,” Fred observes. With savings ramping quickly, the projected water savings were sufficient to cover the solution’s cost within the first year.
What This Means for the Car Wash Industry
Efficiency is becoming the standard. Operators are adopting tools that make utilities and chemicals more measurable and manageable. Cost savings are no longer accidental or reactive, but engineered. Electricity optimization has already become common practice; the same discipline is now being applied to water use, especially at high-consumption sites.
Solutions like MEV are most compelling when applied thoughtfully. High-water-use facilities stand to benefit most, provided the site is properly evaluated to ensure real operational value.
For AutoSpa, the Burlington MEV story is still early, but the direction is clear. Fred plans to continue monitoring results and explore further tuning. For operators evaluating similar options, Fred’s takeaway is straightforward: confirm suitability, expect a short learning curve, and choose a partner that stands behind the outcome.