How to Read Your Water Meter

Monitor Your Water Usage and Detect Potential Leaks

Understanding how to read your water meter can help you monitor your water consumption, identify unusual usage patterns, and detect potential leaks early. Follow these simple steps to locate, access, and read your water meter.

Locate Your Meter

 

Your water meter is usually located a few feet back from the curb, housed in a concrete box with a metal lid.

Tips for finding your meter:

  • May line up with your house shut-off valve
  • May share a box with a neighboring property
  • May be located on a property line

Access the Meter

 

Use a flathead screwdriver or similar tool to lift the metal lid. Be careful when opening as debris may have collected around the edges.

Safety Tip:

Check for insects or small animals before reaching into the meter box. If you encounter any issues accessing your meter, please contact us for assistance.

Reading Your Meter

Reading may be done on a digital screen or an odometer style display, depending on your meter type.

Digital Meter

How to read:

• Numbers display directly on the LCD screen
• Read from left to right
• The reading shows total gallons used
• Numbers after the decimal are partial gallons

Example: A reading of “00000 15.21” means 15.21 gallons have been used.

Odometer Style Meter

How to read:

• Read the white numbers from left to right
• These numbers show total gallons used
• The sweep hand measures partial gallons
• One full rotation = 1 gallon

Example: A reading of “016515” means 16,515 gallons have been used.

Calculate Your Usage

Write down the number you see to be able to calculate your water usage over time.

 

How to Calculate Your Water Usage

  1. Record your current meter reading and the date
  2. Wait a period of time (e.g., 24 hours, one week, one month)
  3. Record the new meter reading
  4. Subtract the first reading from the second reading
  5. The result is your water usage in gallons for that period

Example Calculation:

    • Reading on Day 1:
      123,456 gal
    • Reading on Day 2:
      123,756 gal

Your daily usage:
300 gallons

Think You Might Have a Leak?

Your water meter can also help you detect leaks. If your meter reading increases when all water is turned off in your home, you may have a leak.

Learn How to Detect Leaks