- HOW TO READ YOUR WATER METER -


Your water meter measures the amount of water used in and around your household. The readings from your water meter determine the amount you are charged every month on your water bill. You can read the meter yourself to verify your bill, monitor your water use, check for suspected leaks or experiment with efficient landscaping procedures. The straight reading meter records cubic feet of water used in much the same way that a car's odometer records miles. The dial, with a single hand measures tenth's of a cubic foot. One revolution of the hand is equal to 1 cubic foot of water (7.48 gallons). When Clear Creek C.S.D. reads your meter, we drop the last two digits (in black), and only read to the 100's place. Note the picture below and the reading on the face of the meter. The reading is 15173. We drop the last two numbers (in black) and in their place, add two zero's making the meter reading 15100 cubic feet of water recorded. To find the number of gallons that went through the meter, multiply the total number of cubic feet used (15100) times the number of gallons in one cubic foot of water (7.48). In this case 15100 x 7.48 = 112,948 gallons. To calculate the cubic feet used in a day (24 hr. period) read and record your meter reading dropping the last two numbers (in black). Note the time you recorded the reading and go back the next day at the same time and record the reading again. Subtract the smaller number from the larger to find your consumption for that 24 hr. period. Then multiply that number times 7.48 to find the amount of gallons you used in the time period. Looking at the face of your meter again, notice the blue triangle left of the center of the face. This is a built in leak detector. If the triangle is spinning, regardless of how fast it's movement is, it means there is water moving through the meter. Test it for yourself. Make sure there is no water running in or outside of your house and check the blue triangle. If it is moving, and you have everything turned off, this indicates that you have a leak somewhere in your plumbing system. Back | Home