STEP 1 Locate your meter box, generally found towards the front of a property, near the street. The box is typically in a direct line with the main outside faucet. It is housed in a plastic box usually with a blue lid. Remove the lid by using a tool such as a large screwdriver. Insert the tool into one of the holes and pry the lid off.
STEP 2 Once you open the meter box lid, lift the protective cap on the meter. On the face of the meter, there is a large dial and a display of numbers. For the residential meter, each rotation of the dial measures 10 gallons. Read the number display from left to right. Be sure to include the stationary zero. The first four numbers left to right is your meter reading. Our meters measure water in gallons. Charges for the amount of water consumed are rounded to the nearest thousand gallons used during a billing period. Compare that reading to what your bill states as your current or present reading.
STEP 3 Keep in mind that you might be checking your meter on a date different from the one used for billing. This could result in a difference in the amount you find, compared with the amount on which your bill is based. However, if your reading is considerably higher than what is on your bill, check for a leak or try to determine the source of large water use. If your reading is significantly lower than the reading on your bill, please contact us and let us assist you in determining the problem.
LEAKS
The quickest way to determine if you have a leak is to look at the red triangle (some are blue) located at the bottom of the meter. If this triangle is spinning then water is going through the meter. If the triangle is not spinning and stationary then no water is going throught the meter.
If you think your toilet is the cause of the leak put some food coloring in the tank before you go to bed at night or leave the house to go to work. When you wake up in the morning or come home from work check the tank before flushing. If the food coloring is gone or very diluted then your toilet is leaking.
