Money down the drain

ST. PETERSBURG -- Dan Helton likes to tell a story that involves an apartment renter who would run her shower all night long because the sound helped her sleep. Helton says this type of behavior has helped him build a multi-million dollar business.

Helton is the president of Southern Water Management Inc., which utilizes sub-metering utility technology to measure the amount of water each individual renter uses in his or her apartment. The company then bills the residents, collects the fees, pays the apartment management for the water usage and keeps a portion of the collections as a service charge.

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