Reading and understanding your water meter is an important part of using our water resource efficiently and effectively. Accurate readings will allow you to:

MONITOR water use as closely as you like; daily, monthly, seasonally
DETECT leaks that may be silent or invisible

To read your water meter, follow these steps.....

Locate Your Meter

The small device on the side of your house is only an access point to read the actual meter. This con only be done by the water dept. You will have to locate the actual meter. If your house has basement, your meter will likely be located there. If your house does not have a basement, the meter will normally be located inside the house.

Read your Meter
Reading a water meter is similar to reading an automobile odometer. Most meters have a seven-digit number on the face called the readout (see picture). This shows the total of gallons used since the meter was installed. When water passes through the meter, all of the numbers revolve. There are several different styles of meter faces in use.  The one on the left in the picture, has a fixed "0", so ten gallon increments is the lowest number read. The small dial on top, reads 0 to 10 gallons. The dial face on the right, reads out in tenths of a gallon. In this case 1.3 gallons are shown. Water meters are magnetically driven. They cannot record more water than is registered. Adversely, meters tend to slightly under register as they wear.

Figure your Water Use
To calculate your water use, pick a starting point at which to read your meter; record the reading and date. A day or two later, read your meter again. Subtract the first reading from the second to find out how much water was used, for example:

(Note: Breitung Township charges for water by the 1000 gallon units).

To Monitor your water use, follow these steps...

Monitor your Water Use
Read your meter on a regular basis to track water use. Keep a record of all readings. You will be able to detect trends from season to season and year to year. If your household changes in any way that affects water use (e.g., new family member, plumbing upgrade, etc.), you will be able to determine the effect of the change.

Check for Household Leaks
You may have a little triangle  on the face of the meter, or a small dial marked .01, this is a low flow indicator. It will rotate with even a very low flow through the meter. To check for leaks, turn off all known water uses inside and outside the house. If you have an automatic ice maker, make sure it is not operating. When all water is turned off, the low flow indicator should not move.

If the low flow indicator is moving, there is water flowing somewhere on your property. Try turning off the house shut-off valve, some old valves can be difficult to operate, and not shut off completely. (Usually located where the waterline enters the house).  If the low flow indicator stops moving with the house valve off, water was flowing inside the house (this could be a toilet leak, stuck back wash cycle for you water softener, a leaky pipe, or any number of problems).

How much water is used?

  Watering 1000 square feet of grass in the fall           400 gallons per week

These quantities will vary depending on your families habits