How to Read Your Water Meter

Reading you water meter is a great way to monitor your usage and check for leaks.

1. Keep water off: when checking your water meter, make sure there is no water actively being used on the property.
2. Find your meter: typically in a gray plastic or cement rectangular box, located in front of your house close to the street and/or sidewalk.
3. Open your meter box: insert a screwdriver in the hole on the top of the box and use it to lift the cover off.
4. Read your meter: on the meter face you will see a red needle (similar to the hand of a clock) or a small rotator known as a flow indicator (see flier above). As water flows through the meter the needle or flow indicator will move. If movement is present, you have a leak. If there is no movement, you still may have a slow leak, see below.
5. Use your meter to detect a slow leak: use a pen and mark the location of the needle on the face of the meter. Come back in one hour (or longer) without using water on your property and check to see if the needle has moved past the pen mark. If it has, you have a slow leak. Remember all water must remain off during this process.