Reading Your Water Meter

Conserving water often starts with monitoring water
usage. By reading your own meter, you can check for leaks at your house and better supervise your conservation efforts!

1. Locate your water meter. It should be in the ground 
   somewhere on your property (in many cases it is close to the street). The lid will be an oval or rectangular piece of metal or hard industrial plastic that may say "water meter" on the top.
2. Remove the lid. Most covers have a pentagon-
   shaped screw or nut holding them on. It can be removed using a wrench. If your meter lid does not have the nut or screw, simply pry off the cover using a crowbar or a similar device.
3. Once the lid is off, locate the gauge that looks like this illustration. Notice the red 
   needle that spins around. Each time the needle completes one revolution, roughly 7.5 gallons have passed through the meter. There will also be a triangle on the dial; this is a leak detector.
4. To check for leaks in your home, turn off all appliances that use water (such as washing machines, faucets, dishwashers, even the icemaker). If the triangle spins consistently clockwise after you have made sure no water is on in the house, then you have  a leak. 

1. Use the ear test, eye test, and dye tests to spot leaks in your toilet and faucets. These can sometimes be fixed by a do-it-yourselfer.  
2. If there are no identifiable leaks in your house, check under your house and along the path from your house to the meter for puddles. If the ground is abnormally wet, you may have a leak.
3. For additional information about checking for leaks and other tips on how to conserve, call 373-CITY (2489).