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How to Locate and Read Your Water Meter
Your water meter measures the amount of water
used in your household. The readings from your water meter help
determine the amount you are charged on your water bill. You can
read the meter yourself to help verify your bill, monitor your water
use and check for suspected leaks.
Location:
Most residential meters are located inside,
in a basement, crawlspace or utility closet. However, some customers
may have a “meter pit” which is located outside on the
portion of the property where the water service line comes into
the home.
If the meter is located inside, it is usually
located close to where the water line comes into the home, next
to your “main valve.” It’s important to know where
your main valve is located as well – if you have a problem
with your plumbing, this is where you or the plumber would shut
off the water coming into your home.
If the meter is located outside, you can remove
the meter pit cover (about the size of a dinner plate) with a specially
designed key (available at plumbing supply stores), and view the
meter inside the pit.
Reading Your Meter:
Meters record water usage in either cubic feet
or gallons much in the same way that a car’s odometer records
miles. The digital numbers are read from left to right.
Gallon Meters:
In gallon meters, sometimes
the last three digits are outlined in black. Connecticut Water reads
gallon meters to the nearest thousandths, so the last three digits
would not be recorded when your meter was read. Additionally, some
meters record in tenths of a gallon indicated buy a decimal point
which assists in identifying leaks within your system.
The next time your meter is read, the digits
will have moved forward. For example, we would simply subtract your
last reading from the current reading to obtain the difference,
which is how much water you are billed for.
Cubic Feet Meters:
In a cubic foot meter, the last two digits are
sometimes outlined in black. Connecticut Water reads cubic
foot meters to the nearest hundreth, so the last two digits would
not be recorded when your meter was read.
The next time your meter is read, the digits
will have moved forward. For example, we would simply subtract your
last reading from the current reading to obtain the difference,
which is how much water you are billed for.
To help determine if you have a water
leak by using your water meter, please see our Leaks
Cost Big Dollars fact sheet.
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